{"success":true,"data":{"id":"279df7d0-32c4-4b61-b4ed-5034b00f8160","title":"NBA superstar LeBron James to join Philadelphia 76ers","summary":"A-Z Sports NBA superstar LeBron James to join Philadelphia 76ers Image source, Getty Images Image caption, LeBron James was named the NBA Finals' Most Valuable Player all four times his team won the NBA title By Grace Eliza Goodwin and Ben Collins,BBC Sport journalist Published 24 July 2026, 17:02 B...","content":"**A-Z Sports**\n\n# NBA superstar LeBron James to join Philadelphia 76ers\n\n![Image 1: LeBron James smiles while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Dallas Mavericks in February 2026](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/820/cpsprodpb/b082/live/7473b620-8780-11f1-a6cf-7dd9e08d50d6.jpg)Image source, Getty Images\n\nImage caption, \n\nLeBron James was named the NBA Finals' Most Valuable Player all four times his team won the NBA title\n\nBy Grace Eliza Goodwin and Ben Collins,BBC Sport journalist\n\n*   Published 24 July 2026, 17:02 BST \n\n**LeBron James has announced he will be joining the Philadelphia 76ers next season for what he says will be his final contract in the NBA.**\n\nThe 41-year-old, the highest points scorer in the history of the league, left the Los Angeles Lakers after eight years last month.\n\nThe Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves and Miami Heat were also rumoured to be in the running for the four-time NBA champion.\n\n\"I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energise a new fanbase and start this incredible journey one last time,\" [James said on X., external](https://x.com/KingJames/status/2080677086386430018)\n\nJames has won an NBA title with all three teams he previously played for. He won two with Miami, who earlier this week mistakenly posted a link to an 'introductory press conference' for James.\n\nA Heat spokesperson [told Reuters, external](https://www.reuters.com/sports/miami-heat-mistakenly-post-video-teasing-possible-lebron-james-return-2026-07-22/) the video was posted in error by staff who were preparing for the possibility of James rejoining the team he played for between 2010 and 2014.\n\nEither side of that Miami stint, James had two spells with Cleveland, who drafted James in 2003 and are based near his hometown of Akron, Ohio.\n\n\"Miami I'll forever love and Northeast Ohio will always [be] home,\" James added.\n\nJames helped the Cavs become NBA champions in 2016 and joined the Lakers in 2018, claiming another NBA title two years later.\n\nHe has been named the NBA's Most Valuable Player four times, all between 2009 and 2013, and has been an NBA All-Star the last 22 seasons running.\n\n## Why does James want to keep playing?\n\nJames said after last season that he was \"pretty sure I [had] played my last game\" but realised \"I still truly love this game and I have more to give\".\n\nESPN has reported that James has signed a two-year contract, with a player option for the second year, worth $8m (£6m). His average salary with the Lakers last season was $50.7m (£38m).\n\nJames added: \"I'm not going for money. I'm not going for family. What am I really playing for at this point?\n\n\"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.\"\n\nThe 76ers reached the Conference semi-finals in last season's play-offs, where they lost to the eventual champions, the New York Knicks.\n\nThey have since acquired Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics, in exchange for Paul George and some future draft picks.\n\n## Related topics\n\n## Shorts\n\nPrevious Next, 2 to 4 of 14\n\n*   0:31'Privilege' to follow Guardiola's footsteps - Maresca. 00:00:31, play video'Privilege' to follow Guardiola's footsteps - Maresca![Image 2: Enzo Maresca and Pep Guardiola](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/400/cpsprodpb/5e10/live/bfa19e10-8766-11f1-b2ab-0dd01740f9f6.jpg) \n*   0:35'I didn't know I'd won gold!' 00:00:35, play video'I didn't know I'd won gold!'![Image 3: Mark Swan wins gold medal at Commonwealth Games](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/400/cpsprodpb/35d5/live/01539fd0-877f-11f1-b8ee-9b3c26ad07bb.jpg) \n*   0:40 Klopp threatens to quit Germany job. 00:00:40, play video Klopp threatens to quit Germany job![Image 4: Jurgen Klopp](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/400/cpsprodpb/c5e3/live/89b19060-8768-11f1-a7ab-8b30adf0800a.jpg) \n*   0:55 Who would AJ trust with a secret? 00:00:55, play video Who would AJ trust with a secret?![Image 5: British heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/400/cpsprodpb/f86c/live/7eeee350-86df-11f1-8c61-e72dd81a46e3.jpg) \n*   0:29 Maresca addresses Grealish's future at Man City. 00:00:29, play video Maresca addresses Grealish's future at Man City![Image 6: Enzo Maresca and Jack Grealish](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/400/cpsprodpb/dab9/live/f6cfb490-8765-11f1-aec4-5d4d96e3f4ec.jpg) \n*   0:41 Klopp says Germany needs 'new expectations' 00:00:41, play video Klopp says Germany needs 'new expectations'![Image 7: Jurgen Klopp](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/400/cpsprodpb/cce9/live/52ffb0c0-8753-11f1-95ec-a30de4e448c4.jpg) \n*   1:22'No funding' - England's Amputee World Cup on hold. 00:01:22, play video'No funding' - England's Amputee World Cup on hold![Image 8: England amputee footballer Thomas Atkinson speaking to BBC Breakfast. He is wearing a black England amputee football shirt.](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/400/cpsprodpb/16a9/live/47379d00-874b-11f1-a7ab-8b30adf0800a.jpg) \n*   1:00 Germany job pinnacle of my coaching career - Klopp. 00:01:00, play video Germany job pinnacle of my coaching career - Klopp![Image 9: Jurgen Klopp](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/400/cpsprodpb/e4b6/live/1f5cf2a0-874e-11f1-b2ab-0dd01740f9f6.jpg) \n*   0:48 What makes 3x3 basketball 'so exciting'? 00:00:48, play video What makes 3x3 basketball 'so exciting'?![Image 10: Team Scotland's Hannah Robb](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/400/cpsprodpb/d9cc/live/a0842750-8743-11f1-926f-c90d1bcfbc84.jpg) \n*   1:19 Lindblad looks back on his F1 Journey 00:01:19, play video Lindblad looks back on his F1 Journey ![Image 11: Arvid Lindblad](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/400/cpsprodpb/e58f/live/c8cb1750-84eb-11f1-b976-0b9c15b0ccfc.jpg) \n*   0:33 What success looks like for Wales' chef de mission. 00:00:33, play video What success looks like for Wales' chef de mission![Image 12: Gethin Jones](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/400/cpsprodpb/573b/live/7a14eb90-85cc-11f1-926f-c90d1bcfbc84.jpg) \n*   0:46 We don't want to talk about Tyson Fury - Joshua. 00:00:46, play video We don't want to talk about Tyson Fury - Joshua![Image 13: Anthony Joshua holding microphone at press conference](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/400/cpsprodpb/da75/live/47635440-86c4-11f1-8c61-e72dd81a46e3.jpg) \n*   0:46 Thoughts on these boxing walk-out songs? 00:00:46, play video Thoughts on these boxing walk-out songs?![Image 14: Ade Oladipo on Punch Perfect](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/400/cpsprodpb/0d95/live/049b6190-869f-11f1-926f-c90d1bcfbc84.jpg) \n*   0:37 Who are the TMS team avoiding in the gym? 00:00:37, play video Who are the TMS team avoiding in the gym?![Image 15: Alex Hartley](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/400/cpsprodpb/a7be/live/09490c50-86b9-11f1-8c61-e72dd81a46e3.jpg) \n\n    \n\n    *   Published 2 hours ago \n\n    \n\n    *   Published 8 hours ago \n\n    \n\n## Elsewhere on the BBC\n\n## Elsewhere in Sport\n\n*   [Garnacho, Rogers and two clubs trying to balance the books](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cvg0723e0jko)  ![Image 28: A composite image of Alejandro Garnacho and Morgan Rogers\n\n](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/480/cpsprodpb/0408/live/025b9280-85d5-11f1-bee8-53ce494e1abc.png)","source_name":"BBC News","source_url":"https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/cx27r0me3zno?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss","url":"https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/cx27r0me3zno?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss","author":"Unknown Author","author_name":"Unknown Author","published_at":"2026-07-24T16:07:33.000Z","publication_date":"2026-07-24T16:07:33.000Z","image_url":"https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/820/cpsprodpb/b082/live/7473b620-8780-11f1-a6cf-7dd9e08d50d6.jpg","category":"sport","topic":"sport","tags":[],"political_bias":null,"bias_score":null,"confidence_score":null,"credibility_score":null,"factual_quality":null,"reading_time":5,"word_count":906,"view_count":0,"breaking":false,"breaking_news":false,"ai_analysis":null,"fact_check_status":"unverified","archive_status":"hot","language":null}}