Before LeBron James landed with the Philadelphia 76ers, 27 of the NBA\u2019s 30 teams inquired about the four-time MVP, James\u2019 agent, Rich Paul, told ESPN.<\/p>\n
Among them: one of the 41-year-old superstar\u2019s oldest rivals, the Boston Celtics.<\/p>\n
Boston \u201cexpressed interest\u201d in James<\/a> during his weeks-long foray into free agency, according to a report Wednesday from ESPN\u2019s Dave McMenamin.<\/p>\n It\u2019s unclear whether James ever viewed Boston as a realistic destination. Paul did list the C\u2019s on his whiteboard of potential landing spots \u2014 written as \u201cBrad (Stevens) + (Jayson) Tatum\u201d \u2014 during an early-July episode of his \u201cGame On\u201d podcast, but James\u2019 disdain for the Celtics fanbase<\/a> is no secret.<\/p>\n \u201cI think Boston would rank 30th on his list,\u201d ESPN\u2019s Brian Windhorst, who\u2019s covered James since high school, said earlier this month. \u201cI really, honestly do. He hates Boston.\u201d<\/p>\n James ultimately chose to sign with the team that knocked Boston out of the 2026 playoffs<\/a>, picking Philadelphia over finalists Cleveland, Miami, Golden State and Minnesota. With the Sixers, he\u2019ll team up with Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and former Celtics cornerstone Jaylen Brown, whose controversial trade<\/a> made Philly a far more appealing suitor.<\/p>\n In a social media post announcing his signing, James said he prioritized championship contention when deciding where he would play his 24th NBA season. He accepted a veteran-minimum contract from the 76ers (with a second-year player option) and will look to become the first player in league history to win titles with four different franchises.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is my last decision,\u201d James wrote. \u201cI\u2019m not going for money. I\u2019m 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. I 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<\/p>\n The Celtics, whose big moves this offseason were trading Brown for aging wing Paul George and draft picks, and signing center Mitchell Robinson and point guard Mike Conley in free agency, won\u2019t have to wait long to see James, Brown and this new Sixers superteam in action.<\/p>\n