The Athletic has live coverage of LeBron James’ free agency decision. LAS VEGAS — It could have been a scene straight out of a yet-to-be-written dystopian basketball novel: Bob Myers, the Philadelphia 76ers’ chief executive, seated next to super agent Rich Paul on the set of Paul’s video podcast, stating the case for Philadelphia to land Paul’s client, the most attractive NBA free agent in the summer of 2026, LeBron James.“If (LeBron) was here, I’d say, ‘I honestly believe this is your best chance to win,’” Myers said during the latest episode of Paul’s “Game Over” podcast with Max Kellerman.It was the latest, strangest turn in another league-business-stopping, edge-cutting free agency for James. Executives such as Myers in Philadelphia, Koby Altman in Cleveland, Mike Dunleavy Jr. in Golden State and Pat Riley in Miami aren’t getting meetings with James. Not this time. They can talk to Paul, who relays the information to James, who at some point between now and September will decide which team he will join for his 24th NBA season.In the meantime, Paul is breaking some serious news with that podcast of his. As you may have heard on the same pod last week, he busted out a whiteboard with the top potential destinations for James and laid out, in great detail, why his client — the league’s all-time leading scorer, a four-time champion and four-time NBA MVP — was considering each team.The team that makes the most sense for LeBron JamesEsfandiar BaraheniMyers’ guest appearance — and publicly stated case for James to pick the Sixers — was so strange, audacious or entertaining (or all three) because these kinds of pitches are never made on platforms like this. They are saved for private boardrooms or Zoom calls, and almost always made directly to the player, with the agent sitting next to him.“Awkward,” said one executive of a potential James suitor, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak freely about Paul’s show.“The podcast is a brilliant idea by them because it regains a narrative for them they may have lost,” said another league source who also spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak freely about Paul’s show.Is Paul setting up a “Hunger Games”-style competition for James’ services, with executives from each potential suitor joining him on set over a period of six weeks, with the winner to be announced by Paul and James on the same show some time before the start of fall training camp?The answer is no, according to multiple league sources with direct knowledge of James’ free agency, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private scheduling and broadcast plans. Myers’ appearance on the show was planned before James’ free agency began.But it’d be on brand for James’ free agency history if that were the plan.