LeBron James cites friendship with Maxey, desire to help Embiid in joining 76ers

LeBron James has revealed that his long-standing friendship with All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey and a desire to help Joel Embiid win his first NBA championship were key factors in his decision to sign a two-year, $8 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers last July. The 41-year-old four-time champion shared these details on his podcast "Mind the Game" with co-host Steve Nash, which was released on Friday. Source: hoydo, El Día

Key Motivations

James stated that Philadelphia "wasn't even an option" initially, until the Sixers completed a surprising trade with Boston for Finals MVP Jaylen Brown. Source: hoydo, El Día He and Maxey share an agent and have been friends and workout partners since Maxey entered the league, a relationship that became a recruiting tool for the NBA's all-time leading scorer. James also expressed being drawn to the challenge of helping the injury-prone Embiid—an MVP, two-time scoring champion, and Olympic gold medalist—secure his first title, as Embiid has yet to lead the Sixers past the second round of the playoffs since being drafted third overall in 2014. Source: hoydo, El Día

Career Context

James, who has won championships with the Lakers, Miami, and Cleveland, initially felt "done" after his 23rd season with the Lakers. However, after spending time with family and feeling physically and mentally strong during offseason workouts, he decided to continue playing. "I think I'm more passionate about the pursuit of seeing how much I can defy the odds," James said on the podcast. Source: hoydo, El Día He is scheduled to meet the media for the first time as a Sixer on Monday during the team's media day in Camden, New Jersey, with training camp beginning next week. Source: hoydo, El Día