PHILADELPHIA — LeBron James announced Friday that he will join the Philadelphia 76ers, ending months of speculation about his future and extending his NBA career into a 24th season.
In a post on social media, the 41-year-old James said the move would be his “last decision” after seriously considering retirement following the end of his 23rd NBA season with the Los Angeles Lakers.
“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,” James wrote.
James said he believed he had played his final game after the Lakers’ season ended but ultimately decided to continue playing.
“I still truly love this game, and I have more to give,” he wrote.
According to ESPN, James is expected to sign a two-year contract worth $8 million, a significant pay cut from the nearly $53 million he earned last season.
“I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family,” James wrote. “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.”
James joins a Philadelphia team seeking its first NBA championship since 1983 and its first trip beyond the Eastern Conference semifinals since 2001. He is expected to join a lineup that includes Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown, who was acquired during the offseason.
The move ends James’ eight-year tenure with the Lakers, highlighted by the franchise’s 2020 NBA championship.
A four-time NBA champion, James has also won four NBA Most Valuable Player awards and four NBA Finals MVP honors. He is a 22-time All-Star and a 21-time All-NBA selection.
James averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists last season. Over his career, he has averaged 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists in more than 1,600 NBA games.
James began his NBA career with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003 before winning two championships with the Miami Heat. He returned to Cleveland and led the franchise to the 2016 NBA title before signing with the Lakers in 2018.
“Thank you LA. Miami I’ll forever love and Northeast Ohio will always home!” James wrote.
Philadelphia will be James’ fourth NBA franchise and, he said, the final stop in his career.