On Friday morning, LeBron James announced he would be going to his fourth team, the Philadelphia 76ers.
In a social media post, James said, "This is my last decision. I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family. What am I really playing for at this point? I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship."
By that reasoning, he must believe that Philadelphia offers a better chance for him to win another title than Cleveland.
I thought I was done when the season ended. I wasn't ready to announce it, and I knew I needed some time to really decide, but I was pretty sure I played my last game. I was honest at that last press conference when I said I needed to look at myself and deicide if I still love
— LeBron James (@KingJames) July 24, 2026
He added, "Thank you LA. Miami I’ll forever love and Northeast Ohio will always home!"
The “Kid from Akron” entered free agency on June 30, informing the Los Angeles Lakers he would not be returning to the franchise for the 2026-27 season. That announcement set off weeks of speculation, rumors and betting-market activity, ultimately delaying the release of the upcoming NBA regular-season schedule.
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The rookie who would eventually be called The King started his career in Cleveland as a first-round pick by the Cavs in 2003. He spent his first seven seasons with the Cavs and made one NBA Finals (2007) before signing with the Miami Heat as an unrestricted free agent.
In his four seasons with the Heat, James went to the Finals each year, winning his first and second titles consecutively in the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons.
James returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers ahead of the 2015 season, and the Cavs became immediate title contenders, reaching the Finals that year but falling short to the Golden State Warriors.
In 2016, the Cavs faced the Warriors again in the Finals and became the first NBA team to come back from a 3–1 deficit, winning the Cavs' first-ever NBA Championship.
James left Cleveland once again in 2018 when he opted out of his contract after losing in the Finals to Golden State.
James has spent the last eight seasons with the Lakers, where his eldest son, Bronny James, also plays. In that time, he won one more championship, his fourth overall, during the 2019-2020 “COVID” season.
In his 24 seasons, James has made history with all three teams he's played for and is a four-time NBA Champion, four-time NBA Finals MVP, four-time NBA MVP and 22-time NBA All-Star.
