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In a promotional video posted to social media on Friday, July 24, agent Rich Paul broke out his famous whiteboard featured on the "Game Over" podcast he co-hosts with Max Kellerman and circled a group of names representing the Philadelphia 76ers in red marker.
"It's Philly. Rich, there's a star by [Tyrese] Maxey's name. Was that a breadcrumb I missed?" Kellerman asked. Paul replied, "Maybe you did. Maybe you didn't, Max. But it's Philly."
Yes, Akron native LeBron James announced on July 24 he will sign with the 76ers instead of the other top suitors vying for his services in NBA free agency — the Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors. James will join the Sixers on a two-year, $8 million contract, which includes a player option for the 2027-28 season, Paul told ESPN.
LeBron James news: NBA's all-time leading scorer passes on third Cavs tour and chooses to sign with 76ers
Should we have known all along it would be the 76ers?
After all, Sixers executive Bob Myers is the only member of a front office to make a recruiting pitch for James on the "Game Over" podcast. On another previous episode, Maxey had the star drawn next to his name on the whiteboard, reminding everyone Maxey, like James, he is a coveted client of Paul, the founder and CEO of Klutch Sports Group. At Fanatics Fest NYC last week, Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton co-hosted the "Mind the Game" podcast with James and playfully asked him on stage whether he's in "year 76" of his career. James also said "trust the process" during the live taping and then downplayed it when the audience reacted to him using a motto associated with the Sixers.
For now, the 41-year-old James' only public comments about picking the 76ers have been limited to what he posted on social media. As for Paul, he elaborated on the result of the James sweepstakes during an episode of "Game Over."
Here are some of the highlights:
Paul said reports about James' decision being narrowed down to 76ers, Cavs, Heat and Warriors "were true." Paul said the Sixers acquiring Jaylen Brown in a blockbuster trade with the Boston Celtics on July 1 put Philly in position to "even be really, really considered" by James. Former Cavs general Mike Gansey executed the deal for Brown shortly after he left Cleveland to become 76ers president of basketball operations.
Still, the Brown trade didn't mean James uniting with the Sixers would be a foregone conclusion. Paul called James' free agency "a roller-coaster ride" and said a final decision wasn't made until roughly "1 in the morning" on July 24.
"I think that every one [of the top suitors] was at some point leading the race," Paul said.
When Kellerman asked Paul whether James' decision came down to the 76ers and Warriors in the end, Paul said, "It was pretty layered across the board."
Paul said the Cavs and Heat were attractive options because "home is home" and "Miami is Miami." James has won NBA titles with the Heat (2012 and 2013), Cavs (2016) and Los Angeles Lakers (2020).
Now James hopes to win a championship with the 76ers, who haven't captured a title since 1983. In Philly, James will return to the Eastern Conference after spending the past eight seasons with the Lakers. On June 30, Paul informed the Lakers James would leave them in free agency, tipping off more than three weeks of anticipation and speculation about where the NBA's all-time leading scorer would land.
"I think, obviously, the most important thing is once you had a conversation with your family, and they are OK with it, you're skiing downhill at that point," Paul said. "... The distance [from Los Angeles], yeah, that plays a huge role. I think [James] talked about it being just so far away. But I think it's a testament to what his family has always meant to him and how they supported him and understanding just his love for the game.
"Man, this is a love for the game decision. Nobody at this level, this accomplished, this successful in life, still wanting to play the game, I don't know what else you can say about it outside of someone being very obsessed with the game of basketball."
With James aboard in Philly, he is projected to start at power forward with Maxey at point guard, Brown at small forward, former NBA MVP Joel Embiid at center and VJ Edgecombe at shooting guard.
"If [James is] your secondary playmaker, you've got the best secondary playmaker in the league," Paul said. "I think he helps Tyrese in terms of pick-and-roll action. I think [76ers coach] Nick Nurse can take a little page out of Ty Lue's book and using Tyrese as the screener. When you talk about a guy like VJ Edgecomb, he definitely helps him because when you're so athletic, you tend to lean on that a lot. But in VJ's case, really honing in and being efficient, right? Because now the thing about it, when you add LeBron, everything changes, and I really mean this. That's why it's not easy for someone who is [deemed] to be a star player on the team. When he comes, he kind of shows you how big or little of a star you actually are.
"It takes a special kind of person mentally to embrace that, and I think that the familiarity with him and Tyrese, you don't have to worry about that with Tyrese because they know each other, they embrace each other, they've been working out together for the last five years, so you won't have any pushback. You can't pay for that. You can't put a value on that. And then just a work ethic coming in every day in that facility, you get better by osmosis. It's hard for you not to want to be better when you have [James] around you.
"One key word I think that'll be very important that I think the Sixers will give off and the city of Philadelphia will give off is just a profound appreciation for [James]. I think that'll be big going into the season. And, look, I think do they have the perfect roster? Probably not. Do they have a pretty good starting five? Probably so. Do they have the capabilities to do some trim-around-the-edges stuff? Absolutely."
LeBron James column: Kid from Akron giving Cavs 'The Rejection' opens old wounds | Opinion
James and Embiid won Olympic gold together in 2024. Yet, Embiid has an extensive injury history, and James took it into consideration.
"I don't want to be too hard on Embiid, but, yeah, you have to think about all those things," Paul said. "From my understanding, Embiid is doing a hell of a job this summer. It's the first summer he's actually been healthy, not having some type of surgery over the summer, which is always good.
"And, look, anybody knows if Embiid is your best player on the team, you're a really good team. If he's your second best player on the team, you're an unbelievably good team. If he's your third best player on the team, this is basically the U.S. [Olympic team], an All-Star team."
James tweeted on July 24 he'll extend his career to an unprecedented 24th NBA season because "I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship."
With Luka Doncic sidelined throughout the 2026 playoffs because of a hamstring injury, James led the Lakers to a 4-2 series win over the Houston Rockets in the first round before LA was swept 4-0 by the Oklahoma City Thunder in Round 2.
"I think if [the Lakers] somehow get swept or lose 4-1 in that [Rockets] series ... it could be different," Paul said. "... I think it gave us another [perspective]."
In the 2026 postseason, James averaged 23.2 points on 45.9% shooting from the floor (32.7% on 3-pointers), 6.7 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 38.4 minutes in 10 games.
The production — and the bargain price for which James is willing to play — explains why the 2003 St. Vincent-St. Mary High School graduate took free agency by storm this summer.
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at [email protected]. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Were LeBron James, Rich Paul hinting at 76ers decision all along?
Continue reading...
"It's Philly. Rich, there's a star by [Tyrese] Maxey's name. Was that a breadcrumb I missed?" Kellerman asked. Paul replied, "Maybe you did. Maybe you didn't, Max. But it's Philly."
Yes, Akron native LeBron James announced on July 24 he will sign with the 76ers instead of the other top suitors vying for his services in NBA free agency — the Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors. James will join the Sixers on a two-year, $8 million contract, which includes a player option for the 2027-28 season, Paul told ESPN.
LeBron James news: NBA's all-time leading scorer passes on third Cavs tour and chooses to sign with 76ers
Should we have known all along it would be the 76ers?
After all, Sixers executive Bob Myers is the only member of a front office to make a recruiting pitch for James on the "Game Over" podcast. On another previous episode, Maxey had the star drawn next to his name on the whiteboard, reminding everyone Maxey, like James, he is a coveted client of Paul, the founder and CEO of Klutch Sports Group. At Fanatics Fest NYC last week, Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton co-hosted the "Mind the Game" podcast with James and playfully asked him on stage whether he's in "year 76" of his career. James also said "trust the process" during the live taping and then downplayed it when the audience reacted to him using a motto associated with the Sixers.
For now, the 41-year-old James' only public comments about picking the 76ers have been limited to what he posted on social media. As for Paul, he elaborated on the result of the James sweepstakes during an episode of "Game Over."
Here are some of the highlights:
On 'Game Over' podcast, agent Rich Paul explains why LeBron James chose to sign with 76ers
Paul said reports about James' decision being narrowed down to 76ers, Cavs, Heat and Warriors "were true." Paul said the Sixers acquiring Jaylen Brown in a blockbuster trade with the Boston Celtics on July 1 put Philly in position to "even be really, really considered" by James. Former Cavs general Mike Gansey executed the deal for Brown shortly after he left Cleveland to become 76ers president of basketball operations.
Still, the Brown trade didn't mean James uniting with the Sixers would be a foregone conclusion. Paul called James' free agency "a roller-coaster ride" and said a final decision wasn't made until roughly "1 in the morning" on July 24.
"I think that every one [of the top suitors] was at some point leading the race," Paul said.
When Kellerman asked Paul whether James' decision came down to the 76ers and Warriors in the end, Paul said, "It was pretty layered across the board."
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Paul said the Cavs and Heat were attractive options because "home is home" and "Miami is Miami." James has won NBA titles with the Heat (2012 and 2013), Cavs (2016) and Los Angeles Lakers (2020).
Now James hopes to win a championship with the 76ers, who haven't captured a title since 1983. In Philly, James will return to the Eastern Conference after spending the past eight seasons with the Lakers. On June 30, Paul informed the Lakers James would leave them in free agency, tipping off more than three weeks of anticipation and speculation about where the NBA's all-time leading scorer would land.
"I think, obviously, the most important thing is once you had a conversation with your family, and they are OK with it, you're skiing downhill at that point," Paul said. "... The distance [from Los Angeles], yeah, that plays a huge role. I think [James] talked about it being just so far away. But I think it's a testament to what his family has always meant to him and how they supported him and understanding just his love for the game.
"Man, this is a love for the game decision. Nobody at this level, this accomplished, this successful in life, still wanting to play the game, I don't know what else you can say about it outside of someone being very obsessed with the game of basketball."
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Who are the 76ers starters with LeBron James joining Philadelphia?
With James aboard in Philly, he is projected to start at power forward with Maxey at point guard, Brown at small forward, former NBA MVP Joel Embiid at center and VJ Edgecombe at shooting guard.
"If [James is] your secondary playmaker, you've got the best secondary playmaker in the league," Paul said. "I think he helps Tyrese in terms of pick-and-roll action. I think [76ers coach] Nick Nurse can take a little page out of Ty Lue's book and using Tyrese as the screener. When you talk about a guy like VJ Edgecomb, he definitely helps him because when you're so athletic, you tend to lean on that a lot. But in VJ's case, really honing in and being efficient, right? Because now the thing about it, when you add LeBron, everything changes, and I really mean this. That's why it's not easy for someone who is [deemed] to be a star player on the team. When he comes, he kind of shows you how big or little of a star you actually are.
"It takes a special kind of person mentally to embrace that, and I think that the familiarity with him and Tyrese, you don't have to worry about that with Tyrese because they know each other, they embrace each other, they've been working out together for the last five years, so you won't have any pushback. You can't pay for that. You can't put a value on that. And then just a work ethic coming in every day in that facility, you get better by osmosis. It's hard for you not to want to be better when you have [James] around you.
"One key word I think that'll be very important that I think the Sixers will give off and the city of Philadelphia will give off is just a profound appreciation for [James]. I think that'll be big going into the season. And, look, I think do they have the perfect roster? Probably not. Do they have a pretty good starting five? Probably so. Do they have the capabilities to do some trim-around-the-edges stuff? Absolutely."
LeBron James column: Kid from Akron giving Cavs 'The Rejection' opens old wounds | Opinion
James and Embiid won Olympic gold together in 2024. Yet, Embiid has an extensive injury history, and James took it into consideration.
"I don't want to be too hard on Embiid, but, yeah, you have to think about all those things," Paul said. "From my understanding, Embiid is doing a hell of a job this summer. It's the first summer he's actually been healthy, not having some type of surgery over the summer, which is always good.
"And, look, anybody knows if Embiid is your best player on the team, you're a really good team. If he's your second best player on the team, you're an unbelievably good team. If he's your third best player on the team, this is basically the U.S. [Olympic team], an All-Star team."
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Rich Paul says he believes LeBron James' performance in Lakers-Rockets playoff series influenced his decision to keep playing
James tweeted on July 24 he'll extend his career to an unprecedented 24th NBA season because "I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship."
With Luka Doncic sidelined throughout the 2026 playoffs because of a hamstring injury, James led the Lakers to a 4-2 series win over the Houston Rockets in the first round before LA was swept 4-0 by the Oklahoma City Thunder in Round 2.
"I think if [the Lakers] somehow get swept or lose 4-1 in that [Rockets] series ... it could be different," Paul said. "... I think it gave us another [perspective]."
In the 2026 postseason, James averaged 23.2 points on 45.9% shooting from the floor (32.7% on 3-pointers), 6.7 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 38.4 minutes in 10 games.
The production — and the bargain price for which James is willing to play — explains why the 2003 St. Vincent-St. Mary High School graduate took free agency by storm this summer.
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at [email protected]. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Were LeBron James, Rich Paul hinting at 76ers decision all along?
Continue reading...
