'I thought I was done.' what LeBron James said about coming to Philly

Exciting news for Philadelphia sports fans today as basketball superstar LeBron James officially ends the guessing period for his free agency, signing on with the 76ers for the 2026-27 season.

James comes to the City of Brotherly Love from an eight-season run with the Los Angeles Lakers.

“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 shared Friday on X.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) and forward LeBron James jog up the court after a play during the third quarter against the Houston Rockets of Game 4 of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center on April 26, 2026.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) and forward LeBron James jog up the court after a play during the third quarter against the Houston Rockets of Game 4 of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center on April 26, 2026.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) gives the ball to guard Bronny James during the fourth quarter against the Houston Rockets during Game 3 of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center on April 24, 2026.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and guard Bronny James react after a play during the second quarter against the Houston Rockets of Game 3 of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center on April 24, 2026.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) sets a screen on Houston Rockets guard Aaron Holiday (0) as Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James takes the ball down court in the first half of Game 2 of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on April 21, 2026.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) with son Bronny James in the first half against the Houston Rockets during Game 1 of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on April 18, 2026.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) gets a tap from guard Bronny James during a stoppage in play in the first half against the Washington Wizards at Crypto.com Arena on March 30, 2026.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) interacts with guard Luke Kennard (10) and guard Bronny James (9) before the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Crypto.com Arena on March 3, 2026.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James talks with son, guard Bronny James, during a break in the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on Oct. 5, 2025.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James and forward LeBron James, wearing a Los Angeles Dodgers cap, watch the action against the Golden State Warriors in the first quarter at Chase Center on Oct. 5, 2025.

Philadelphia was buzzing with the news as it broke Friday morning.

“Philadelphia is the center of the sports universe. Welcome to Philly,” the city shared on X alongside the announcement.

James opened up about the decision online, writing, “I thought I was done when the season ended. I wasn’t ready to announce it, and I knew I needed some time to really decide, but I was pretty sure I played my last game.”

“This is my last decision. I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family. What am I really playing for at this point?” he continued. “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.”

Kaitlyn McCormick is a Philadelphia-based reporter writing all things trending, breaking and city-related for USA TODAY’s Philadelphia Metro Connect Team.