It is time to proven a former friend wrong.
LeBron James wanted one last championship in his NBA career. That much was clear from his decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers. Immediately ruling out a return to the Los Angeles Lakers invited questions of just how poorly the all-time great viewed his now old team's chances.
James' comments at 76ers Media Day only reaffirmed his offseason verdict on the Lakers. LeBron did not view Los Angeles as having a championship ceiling. At the very least, Philadelphia had a much cleaner path to ring number five for the NBA's all-time leading scorer. Just read what he said.
"I didn't leave my family to lose in the second round, I know that."
This, of course, alludes to the fact that James' family stayed behind in Los Angeles. The other part of those comments clearly points back to how the Lakers finished their 2025-26 season. It sure does seem like LeBron did not see a realistic path for his old team to get past the Oklahoma City Thunder or San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference during the years he had left in the NBA.
LeBron James stands his ground on competitive verdict between 76ers and Lakers
There were some who immediately wondered whether James made the right call to quickly rule out a Lakers return with the beginning to his summer. The franchise put together a strong group that was calling out for one more forward to finalize the starting unit. That could have been LeBron.
Clearly, James has not lost any sleep over that decision, though. The 76ers forward continues to preach what he has all along: he wants a championship and Philadelphia gives him the best chance at securing it. On paper, that makes sense.
James joining Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, and V. J. Edgecombe gives him as good of a starting unit as he could ask for. The depth in Philadelphia is not bad either after adding guys who they hope will be key contributors like Anfernee Simons, Dean Wade, and company.
The Eastern Conference has the New York Knicks defending the crown, sure. However, there is still more of a wide-open feeling to that conference than there is for the West ahead of the new season.
You still have to play the games. That is where the Lakers will hope to prove their former star wrong.
Lakers will need to show LeBron James that championships are never won on paper
The 76ers have amassed a ton of talent, but whether they can figure out the fit is still an intriguing question. Yes, that does have to do with Brown. Seeing if Philadelphia can stay healthy enough is also important. Yes, that does have to do with Embiid.
JJ Redick recently said that Los Angeles has the pieces fitting together properly for the first time in his run as head coach of the franchise. Was that a sneaky shot at his friend, LeBron? Probably not, but it is still an intriguing assessment of this season's roster.
James thought leaving Los Angeles gave him the best shot to win another title in his limited time left on an NBA court. Based on the two-year deal signed in Philadelphia, one would imagine he gets that exact amount of cracks at proving himself right. Luka Doncic and company will hope to show him twice over that he could not have been more wrong.
