LeBron James is signing a contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, the star revealed via social media. It is a two-year deal worth $8 million, with a player option, per ESPN. Next season will be the 24th year in the NBA for James, who turns 42 in December. The previous NBA longevity record was 22 years.
“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 posted. “Thank you LA. Miami I’ll forever love and Northeast Ohio will always home!”
The 76ers beat out other contenders for James that included the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat.
James has amassed an unprecedented on-court career resumé: the NBA’s all-time leading soccer, a 21-time All-NBA selection, four MVPs and 10 NBA Finals appearances. He averaged 20.9 points per game with the Los Angeles Lakers last season. The previous high-water marks for a player in their age 41 season were 10.1 (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and 5.4 (Vince Carter).
James’ off-court game has been equally exceptional with $1.7 billion in career earnings since he turned pro in 2003. The tally ranks fourth all-time, adjusted for inflation, behind Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and Cristiano Ronaldo.
