PHILADELPHIA — Twelve years ago, Joel Embiid sent a casual social media message to LeBron James that read: “@KingJames hey bro hope you’re having a good day…… Want to join us in philly?? Peace.”
It turns out Embiid’s laid-back recruiting pitch eventually worked. James — the four-time NBA champion and the league’s all-time leading scorer — has agreed to join the Philadelphia 76ers in what amounts to one of the most surprising developments in recent NBA history, coming roughly 12 years after that July 1, 2014 post.
Philadelphia is banking on James being worth the wait, hoping he can deliver a championship to a city that hasn’t celebrated one since 1983 — a year before James was even born — when Julius Erving was still thrilling crowds.
While James may no longer be the dominant force he was during his MVP prime, he remains a difference-maker, and his addition should elevate a Sixers squad that had been stuck in the middle of the pack. Pair him with a lineup featuring league MVP Embiid, All-Stars Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown, and promising second-year player VJ Edgecombe, and it’s little wonder Philadelphia jumped up the NBA title odds Friday, landing among the short list of championship favorites — though not at the very top.
James is chasing another ring, and his two-year contract at the veterans’ minimum of roughly $3.9 million per season sent a clear message to the rest of the Eastern Conference — including the reigning NBA champion Knicks — that a serious contender may finally be taking shape in Philadelphia.
The Sixers were already having a strong offseason before James entered the picture. The team parted ways with team president Daryl Morey and brought in longtime Cleveland executive Mike Gansey, who wasted no time making his mark. In his first month on the job, Gansey engineered a stunning trade with Boston that brought Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia — the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, a five-time All-Star and the fourth-leading scorer in the league last season.
It’s hard to imagine that Embiid and Maxey alone would have been enough to lure James to Philadelphia. But landing a player of Brown’s caliber likely played a major role in James’ decision — which he has described as his “last” — and the Sixers now arguably boast the best starting five in the entire league.
There are real concerns, however. James turns 42 in December and has significant mileage on his body, having appeared in only 60 games last season due to injuries. Embiid has been notoriously difficult to keep healthy, playing in just 57 combined games over the past two seasons. And the Sixers have a history of importing star talent — James Harden, Jimmy Butler, Paul George — without advancing past the second round since 2001.
With multiple players accustomed to being the focal point, sharing one basketball could present its own challenge.
Still, with all due respect to Wilt Chamberlain, James arrives as the most decorated player ever to put on a 76ers uniform. He won’t be alone wearing No. 23 — Fanatics reportedly sold out of his jerseys almost immediately on Friday.
It’s also a significant victory for front office boss Bob Myers, who publicly advocated for James to sign with Philadelphia on his agent’s podcast. Myers previously won four championships as an executive with the Golden State Warriors.
Philadelphia’s previous season ended with a second-round sweep at the hands of Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and the eventual champion Knicks.
New York remains the team to beat — both because of their title and their standing as the betting favorite to return to the NBA Finals out of the East. The Knicks have largely stood still while other teams have made major moves.
Miami is also making noise after trading with Milwaukee for Giannis Antetokounmpo, the two-time MVP and the latest superstar addition under team president Pat Riley, who took over in 1995. The Heat are currently a two-star team built around Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo — a potential Big 3 that never materialized with James, who instead chose Philadelphia.
Toronto is hoping to finalize a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers that would bring them Kawhi Leonard, though the deal is on hold while the NBA investigates whether the Clippers violated salary cap rules.
Cleveland would have loved a sentimental third chapter with James and the chance to eventually see their greatest player retire there. Instead, the Cavaliers are left scrambling, hoping to re-sign 36-year-old James Harden to complement Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell. They are projected to finish behind both New York and Philadelphia in the East.
Detroit, which won 60 games last season, is also eager to prove their early playoff exit was just a growing pain for a developing contender.
Whatever happens in Philadelphia, James’ legacy is already cemented. But there is one historic milestone still within reach: if he helps the Sixers win a title, he would become the first player in NBA history to win championships with four different franchises.
Sixers coach Nick Nurse celebrated his 59th birthday on Friday, and it’s hard to imagine a better professional gift arriving than LeBron James — and at a bargain price, no less.
Expect James to be front and center on opening night in New York, featured in a Christmas Day game in Philadelphia, and driving secondary market ticket prices sky-high even on nights when Embiid is sidelined.
After decades of waiting, Philadelphia is ready to reach for the sky again — just as it did in the era of Dr. J.
