LeBron James leaving Lakers for 76ers came down to one factor

When LeBron James decided to leave the Lakers, immediate questions swirled about what he’d prioritize in his unprecedented 24th NBA season (and possibly beyond).

Money?

Proximity to family?

Organizational familiarity?

By joining the 76ers, James made it clear that his choice came down to winning.

The money? James will sign a two-year, $8 million contract for the veteran’s minimum — literally the least expensive two-year deal he could sign. And a lot less than what the Lakers could’ve offered, or even the Warriors and Heat. 

The proximity to family? Philadelphia, along with Miami, was the potential destination farthest from LA, where he’s raised his family over the last eight years. 

The organizational familiarity? Unlike the Heat and Cavaliers, James hasn’t played for the 76ers.

But winning? James will have as good an opportunity to compete for another NBA title on a championship-caliber team with the 76ers as any of his options. 

He said as much on social media. 

“I’m not going for money,” James posted on X. “I’m not going for family. What am I really playing for at this point? 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. 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.”

Those options also included the Lakers — a door James slammed shut 3 ½ weeks ago. 

And now the Lakers, who’ve fully entrenched themselves in the Luka Doncic era through roster reconstruction, are witnessing James do things he didn’t while playing for them.

James sacrificed for the Lakers, especially when he moved into a third-option role for most of March.

But James didn’t take a pay cut with the Lakers anywhere close to the one he is taking for the 76ers. 

Could the Lakers feel some type of way about this, especially after all James and the franchise had been through together over the last eight years? 

Sure. 

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James could’ve returned to the Lakers on the same deal he agreed to with the 76ers.

But the Lakers made it clear — mostly subliminally — that James wasn’t a significant priority for their present and future. 

And the teams that recruited James made him feel wanted and more of a priority than the Lakers had before his tenure with the franchise ended. 

James will have to sacrifice similarly — if not more — for the 76ers than he would’ve if he returned to the Lakers.

The 76ers have a lot of mouths to feed offensively: 2024 NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, All-NBA guard Tyrese Maxey, 2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid and All-Rookie first-team honoree V.J. Edgecombe.

They also added Anfernee Simons and Dean Wade as free agents, in addition to selecting Labaron Philon Jr. with the No. 22 pick in the draft.

There will be times when James is not just the third-scoring option offensively — but sometimes even the fourth and fifth.

The difference? 

The 76ers, despite their potential volatility, had a better chance of competing for a championship with James compared to the Lakers. 

Through James’ eyes, the sacrifice for the 76ers appears to be more fruitful than it would’ve been for the Lakers. 

And he isn’t wrong. 

The 76ers should be right behind the defending champion Knicks when it comes to championship equity in the Eastern Conference. 

Even if James stayed with the Lakers and they made all of their other moves (which likely wouldn’t have been the case), they’d still probably be the third- or fourth-best team in the West like they were the previous two seasons. 

James’ decision to join the 76ers should give him the proper sendoff for his career — especially if he’s able to win a fifth NBA title and become the first player in league history to win a championship with four different teams. 

And in many ways, the 76ers have and will provide James with things the Lakers simply couldn’t have offered.