Bob Myers believes LeBron James chose Philadelphia for one overriding reason: winning. Speaking on Cousins with Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, Myers said James passed on easier narrative-driven options and instead selected the situation he believed gave him the best chance to compete for another championship.
“Now you say best chance to win. He goes back to Cleveland. He’s made man. He chose the only one reason. It’s to win,” Myers said. “It wasn’t because I played there before. Or I grew up there. I want to play with my friend. It was because I want to win. So, I’m going to go where I want to go. It gives me the best chance to win.”
The decision follows a major transformation for Philadelphia after a 45-37 season that ended with a second-round sweep by the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks. The 76ers finished seventh in the Eastern Conference, then defeated Boston in seven games before running into a Knicks team that won all four games by margins of 39, 6, 14 and 30 points.
Philadelphia has since reshaped its roster around Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and newly acquired Jaylen Brown. Brown arrived from Boston in the offseason in exchange for Paul George, two future first-round picks and two second-round selections, replacing a player who appeared in only 37 games during the 2025-26 regular season.
Maxey provides the Sixers with an established high-volume scorer after averaging 28.3 points and 6.6 assists in 70 games last season. He was named an All-Star and earned All-NBA Third Team honors while shooting 36.7% from three-point range on 8.6 attempts per game.
Embiid, meanwhile, averaged 26.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 38 games, but his availability remains one of Philadelphia’s central questions. Brown’s arrival gives the 76ers another All-NBA-caliber wing, while LeBron adds an experienced playmaker and scorer to a roster that already has multiple players capable of carrying significant offensive workloads.
Myers’ comments are particularly notable given his connection to Philadelphia’s ownership structure. He became president of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment in October 2025 and briefly served as interim 76ers president following Daryl Morey’s departure before Mike Gansey took over the basketball operations role.
The 76ers now enter the new season with considerably higher expectations than the team that finished 15 games behind Eastern Conference-leading Detroit in 2025-26. James’ decision, as Myers described it, was not about returning to a previous franchise or choosing familiarity.
