PHILADELPHIA (AP) \u2014 LeBron James\u2019 first \u201cfinal\u201d decision was that he would retire. Weeks of deep reflection led him to change his mind, however, with all the familiar options in front of him to extend his career; a third trip with Cleveland, a second stop in Miami, maybe even stay in California for a high-profile union in Golden State.<\/p>\n
Nope \u2014 to all of those teams.<\/p>\n
The blaring headline in bold letters still seemed like a feverish dream to the bulk of a fan base that wasn\u2019t even alive the last time the franchise won a title, but it\u2019s true: <\/p>\n
LeBron James is heading to the Philadelphia 76ers.<\/p>\n
The NBA\u2019s all-time leading scorer made the announcement on social media Friday, saying it will be his \u201clast decision\u201d and that it comes after he strongly considered retirement.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time,\u201d James said.<\/p>\n
A four-time NBA champion, James<\/a> wrote he was \u201cdone\u201d when his 23rd NBA season ended and that it was his last with the Los Angeles Lakers.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n AP AUDIO: LeBron James is heading to the Philadelphia 76ers, saying it will be his \u2018last decision\u2019\n <\/p>\n AP correspondent Ed Donahue reports LeBron James is moving on from the Los Angeles Lakers.<\/p>\n \u201cI 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 this game,\u201d James wrote. \u201cI still truly love this game, and I have more to give.\u201d<\/p>\n The 41-year-old James is set to sign a modest $8 million, two-year contract on the veterans\u2019 minimum with the Sixers, according to ESPN. He made nearly $53 million last season.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not going for money. I\u2019m not going for family,\u201d James wrote. \u201cWhat 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.\u201d<\/p>\n James celebrated his decision on Instagram with a career highlight reel<\/a> set to Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill\u2019s \u201cDreams and Nightmares,\u201d the adopted sports anthem of city teams.<\/p>\n The video ends with the lyric, \u201chold up, wait a minute. Y\u2019all thought I was finished?\u201d and cuts to a 76ers\u2019 logo.<\/p>\n Fanatics already had his No. 23 jersey on sale for $125 with delivery not expected until the end of August. The company sold out within hours of the announcement.<\/p>\n Much as James did for Cleveland when he ended a 56-year championship drought for the city by leading the Cavaliers to the title in 2016, he can snap a lengthy title drought for the Sixers.<\/p>\n The Sixers went 45-37 last season and were swept in the second round by the NBA champion New York Knicks. <\/p>\n Most betting sites had the Sixers as 9-1 favorites to win the championship behind the Oklahoma City Thunder, the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks, as of Friday afternoon.<\/p>\n James joins a 76ers team that has not won an NBA championship since 1983 and has not advanced out of the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs since 2001.<\/p>\n The 76ers should boast one of the top starting fives in the NBA with second-year standout VJ Edgecombe, fellow All-Stars Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown \u2014 the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, a five-time All-Star and the league\u2019s fourth-leading scorer this past season acquired in a stunning offseason deal with the Celtics.<\/p>\n Maxey posted an Instagram story of him celebrating in a gym and yelling \u201cwhat!? what?!\u201d over the news while Brown wrote on X \u201c#throwtheballup.\u201d Brown wrote the same phrase in his introductory note to Philadelphia, and it has already been branded on billboards throughout the city.<\/p>\n Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro even proclaimed Friday as LeBron James Day<\/a> in the state.<\/p>\n