Stephen A. Smith expected LeBron James to return to familiar ground if the four-time MVP chose the Eastern Conference for the final chapter of his career.
Instead, James signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, leaving Smith stunned that the 41-year-old passed on another reunion with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“I’m shocked, because I thought if he was going back East he’d be going home, and not dangling his availability in the face of the Cleveland Cavaliers and then go somewhere else,” Smith said on ESPN’s “First Take,” according to a video shared on X.
“I think it speaks to Bob Myers being in Philly now and pulled off a heist of getting Jaylen Brown. This will be a top team in the East to compete with the Knicks.”
James agreed to a two-year, $8 million contract with a player option, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul told ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The move ends an offseason filled with retirement speculation and talk of a potential third stint in Cleveland.
Smith Saw Cleveland as LeBron James’ Natural Choice
James made his connection to Northeast Ohio apparent in the statement announcing his decision.
He thanked the Los Angeles Lakers, expressed his lasting affection for Miami and wrote that Northeast Ohio “will always home.”
The wording reflected the complicated choice Smith expected James to make.
James grew up in Akron, began his NBA career with the Cavaliers and returned in 2014 after four seasons with the Miami Heat.
His second Cleveland stint produced the 2016 championship that ended the city’s lengthy major professional sports title drought.
The Associated Press reported that Cleveland and Miami were believed to be under consideration before James chose Philadelphia.
James also revealed that he had been “pretty sure” his career was over after the Lakers’ playoff exit, but his tune changed.
“I still truly love this game, and I have more to give,” James wrote. “I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship.”
The contract supports that message.
James made nearly $53 million last season, according to the AP, but accepted a veteran-minimum deal to join a roster he believes can contend immediately.
He enters his record-extending 24th NBA season after averaging 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists in 60 games. James remains the league’s all-time scoring leader, a 22-time All-Star and a four-time champion.
Myers, Brown Move Helped Sell Philadelphia’s Rise
Smith’s surprise over Cleveland quickly shifted into praise for what Philadelphia has built.
The Philadelphia 76ers acquired Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics earlier in July for Paul George and four draft picks.
Brown arrives after averaging a career-high 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists last season.
The five-time All-Star and 2024 NBA Finals MVP gives Philadelphia another proven postseason scorer beside James.
Smith credited Bob Myers, the former Golden State Warriors executive who joined Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment as president of HBSE Sports in October 2025.
Myers oversees the broader sports operation, while Mike Gansey handles the 76ers’ basketball department.
The result is a roster built around James, Brown, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.
Philadelphia went 45-37 last season before the New York Knicks swept it in the second round, but the summer additions have changed the scale of expectations.
Smith later described the 76ers as a championship favorite and pointed to James’ basketball IQ, Brown’s two-way ability and Maxey’s scoring as reasons the team can challenge New York.
Health remains primary to the outlook, particularly with Embiid.
The collection of talent still explains why James chose Philadelphia over sentiment.
Cleveland offered a homecoming, but the 76ers offered the most direct avenue to a championship.
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