LeBron James, 41, has signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, including a player option for the second year, marking what is expected to be his final NBA contract [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer announced the deal publicly on July 24, 2026, via a post on X (formerly Twitter) [1, 2, 6, 4].
James left the Los Angeles Lakers after eight seasons, where he won one NBA championship in 2020 [7, 1, 2, 6, 4]. He had seriously considered retirement after the 2025-26 season but decided to continue playing for one last pursuit of a title [1, 2, 8, 4, 9, 10]. "This is my last decision. I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family," James said. "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" [1].
He joins a strong 76ers roster that includes stars Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and newly acquired Jaylen Brown [1, 2, 6, 3, 4]. James aims to become the first NBA player to win championships with four different teams, having previously won titles with the Miami Heat (2012, 2013), Cleveland Cavaliers (2016), and Lakers (2020) [3, 1, 4]. "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 said [7].
He also expressed gratitude to his former teams and their fans, stating, "Thank you LA. Miami I’ll forever love and Northeast Ohio will always be home!" [2].
LeBron officially announced his departure from the Lakers as a free agent on June 30, 2026 [3]. The signing with Philadelphia on July 24 marks his return to the court with a new team for what experts expect is his last stint in the NBA [5, 9, 10].
