LeBron James believed the Philadelphia 76ers gave him the best chance to compete for another NBA championship, but he first wanted his family’s support before making the move official.
“The last step was getting the family all on board and talking to everyone, from Savannah, Zhuri, Bronny James, who’s playing for the Lakers, to Bryce James at Arizona,” ESPN’s Shams Charania said.
James’ decision ends his eight-year run with the Lakers, where his family established deep roots. Bronny remains in Los Angeles with the Lakers, Bryce is beginning college at Arizona, and daughter Zhuri faced the prospect of seeing her father less often.
Before announcing his departure, James sat down with Zhuri to explain what the move would mean.
“I pulled her to the side and I was like, ‘Baby, I’m letting you know. I don’t want you to hear from nobody else, but I won’t be playing for the Lakers next year. I will be playing somewhere else,’” James recalled.
“‘I won’t be home all the time. And you may not have an answer right now. You can give me an answer now. We can wait; we can write it down. I just want to know how you felt about it because you mean a lot to me. Me being away from you means a lot.’ So, the family portion is a big thing, too.”
With Bronny staying in Los Angeles and Bryce at Arizona, the family could remain based in California while James spends the season in Philadelphia.
While the reported two-year, $8 million contract was about chasing another championship, James made sure his family’s approval came before signing.
LeBron James’ family faced difficult decision over 76ers opportunity https://t.co/b3has3dZ1J pic.twitter.com/WvPZdKpWmX
— New York Post (@nypost) July 24, 2026
