July 25, 2026, 6:00 p.m. CT
Like Shawn Michaels when he sweet-chin music’d Ric Flair at WWE WrestleMania, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander almost sent LeBron James into NBA retirement for good. Over three weeks later, the 41-year-old finally made his much-anticipated free agent decision.
James has ditched the Los Angeles Lakers after eight seasons. He signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. Arguably the biggest name basketball has ever had will extend his career to a possible NBA-record quarter-century.
The NBA offseason has lived up to the hype — and then some. While the West has remained mostly quiet with blockbuster moves, the East has had complete renovations. The power dynamics have altered with fireworks popping off every other day. To what end remains to be seen.
The Sixers added Jaylen Brown and James; Giannis Antetokounmpo heads to the Miami Heat; Kawhi Leonard returned to the Toronto Raptors — maybe; Paul George is now on the Boston Celtics.
Of the group, Philadelphia has the most radical changes. The Sixers now have two former MVP winners, another recent MVP candidate, a near 30-point scorer and someone who flirted with Rookie of the Year. Expect it to become must-watch TV that borders a reality show for hoop heads with dramatic locker room vibes.
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In his detailed explanation, James referenced the Oklahoma City Thunder as one of the sneakier influences for his last big-time decision to choose the Sixers over familiar spots in the Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers. They weren’t ever in the conversation, but the 22-time NBA All-Star revealed their recent playoff series affected how he wanted to write out the final chapter of his Hall-of-Fame career.
“IÂ 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,” James wrote on social media. “I was honest at that last press conference when I said I needed to look at myself and decide if I still love this game. I still truly love this game, and I have more to give.”
Paired with The Athletic’s reporting that James felt ‘incomplete’ when OKC sent Los Angeles home in a non-competitive Round 2 series sweep, the Thunder making light work of the Lakers left a sour taste in his mouth. The 41-year-old didn’t want to ride off into the sunset in such a mundane way.
On the Sixers, he’ll have the NBA world’s attention — for good or bad. Either James wins an NBA championship on a fourth different franchise. Or things spectacularly fail in a blaze alongside Joel Embiid, Brown and Tyrese Maxey. Remains to be seen. But Philadelphia has been promoted to a main character in the NBA world.