After 23 days, LeBron James has made what he called his "final decision." He passed on a storybook ending with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Imagine an alternate ending to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air where Will Smith leaves LA to move back to his hometown in West Philadelphia. That ending is now reality, only with a King, LeBron James, hanging up his cushy LA lifestyle to play for Smith's home town 76ers.
After a 23 day odyssey, the 41-year selected Philadelphia over the Miami Heat, the Golden State Warriors and his hometown team the Cleveland Cavaliers, spurning the franchise that drafted him in 2003 and that he brought a title in 2016, and forgoing a near-perfect storybook ending to his Hall of Fame career.
In the announcement, James called the move his final decision, as he closes in on retirement. His deal with Philly is reportedly two years, with a player option in 2027.
James spent the last nine years suiting up for the Los Angeles Lakers, winning a title with the franchise in 2020. It was the longest consecutive stint he spent with a single team throughout his illustrious career.
Once the Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round back in May speculation over James' future began. There was a prevailing belief that James would simply finish his career in LA, where his family was settled. The lure of continuing to play with his oldest son, Bronny, who is also a member of the Lakers, carried plenty of weight as well.
James admitted in his thread of posts on Friday that he also contemplated retirement, believing he had honestly played his last game. Taking time to think about his future appeared to open his mind to other possibilities, though.
One day before free agency opened up, however, James' team made it known he wouldn't be returning to the purple and gold. He then spent the last three weeks mulling over his future, while his agent and childhood friend Rich Paul fielded pitches from interested teams.
Much like James' previous free agent moves, The Decision 4.0 took on a life of its own over the last few weeks. Paul dedicated time on his podcast, Game Over with Max Kellerman, to discuss the process opnely. That included the viral whiteboard where Paul mapped out all the pros and cons for the top teams on James' radar.
That list ranged far and wide, spanning both conferences. In the end, the report indicated the final three teams all resided in the East, with the 76ers, Heat and Cavs all being considered until the bitter end.
James spent the first seven years of his career in Cleveland, before his infamous Decision in 2010 when he announced on a made-for-TV special that he was leaving the Cavs for the Heat to team up with Dwanye Wade and Chris Bosh in pursuit of his first championship. He'd go on to win two rings with the franchise during a four year span, but was hated throughout Northeast Ohio for leaving without fulfilling his promise to bring a title home.
Then, on July 11, 2014, James announced his intentions to return to Cleveland to finish what he started. Two years later, in June of 2016, James fulfilled his promise, rallying the Cavs from a 3-1 series deficit against the juggernaut, 73-9 Golden State Warriors to secure the franchise its first Larry O'Brien Trophy thanks with an epic Game 7 victory.
The title snapped a 52-year championship drought for the city, as James was fully exonerated for the 2010 departure.
He'd go on to spend two more seasons with the wine and gold, making two more runs to the NBA Finals as well, but falling short against a Warriors team that found a way to add Kevin Durant. After being swept by Golden State in the 2018 Finals, James went on to sign with the Lakers, ending his second tenure in Cleveland.
Now, his final chapter will take him to the City of Brotherly Love, where he'll team up with the likes of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and newest addition Jaylen Brown, who came over in a blockbuster trade earlier this month.
James wants to make one last run at a title. A loaded 76ers squad certainly provides that. But the Cavs were just in the Eastern Conference Finals, and losing out on James leaves them scrambling to improve the roster this offseason.
It also leaves Cavaliers fans devastated. Not quite like they were in 2010, but passing on a storybook conclusion to his career won't sit well with many of the team's most staunch supporters.
