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LeBron James to join the Philadelphia 76ers

LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts against the Utah Jazz during the second quarter at Crypto.com Arena on November 18, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. . (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — LeBron James is heading to the Philadelphia 76ers.

The four-time NBA champion and four-time MVP made the announcement on social media on Friday.

“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,” wrote James in a social media post announcing his decision on Friday.

James, a basketball icon and the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, agreed to a two-year, $8 million deal with a player option, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, who cited Rich Paul, James’ agent.

The decision to head to Philadelphia concludes a summer of anticipation as much of the sports world waited for the former Los Angeles Laker to announce his next destination.

Possible rumored destinations for James included his home state Cleveland Cavaliers, Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors and another former team, the Miami Heat.

“The last few weeks have really been special. I’ve never been able to have no clue what to do and take real time to just think. I’ve had an incredible few months with all the people I love trying to figure it all out. This is my last decision. I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family. What am I really playing for at this point?” James wrote in his post.

He signed off, “Thank you LA. Miami I’ll forever love and Northeast Ohio will always home!”

James’ decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers puts him on a roster with all-stars Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey.

James recently completed his 23rd season in the NBA, and his eighth with the Lakers, after which it was announced in June he would be departing Los Angeles for a new team.

The announcement came moments before the NBA’s free agency period, where high-profile player movement is traditionally frequent.

With the announcement, James also leaves his son Bronny James in a Laker uniform. The younger James, who was drafted by the team in 2024, is still on the roster, but could be waived should the Lakers choose to part ways with him.

James will now build on his legacy with a 24th NBA season, this time in Philadelphia.
 

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Nearly 1 year after Annunciation shooting, Fletcher Merkel memorialized with lakeside fishing bench

By CNN
Click here for updates on this story    MINNESOTA (WCCO) -- When Fletcher Merkel's family moved into the Kenny neighborhood in south Minneapolis, neighbors told him he wouldn't have much luck casting his fishing line at Grass Lake. He proved them wrong, which his mother said is a constant reminder of his perseverance and passion. Mollie Merkel said that one day last summer, 8-year-old Fletcher caught a bullhead catfish. Mollie said it was "disgusting," but Fletcher didn't care. He paraded that fish around the neighborhood in a bucket. Mollie shared that story with around one hundred of her neighbors in the Kenny neighborhood on Tuesday evening. She joined the Kenny Neighborhood Association in unveiling a bench that overlooks Grass Lake, designed to honor her son. Fletcher and 10-year-old Harper Moyski died in the mass shooting at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis last August. The bench is positioned so that the sunset is clearly visible in the evening, a daily event that Mollie says reminds her of Fletcher. The inscription references Fletcher's bullhead catch, reading, in part, "For the boy who proved there are fish in Grass Lake." "Fletcher would have loved sitting here, but mostly, we would have loved running around it," Mollie said, drawing laughter from the crowd, "but we used to watch the birds and the ducks here." Barbara Brady, chair of the Kenny Neighborhood Association, said that she and her team reached out to the Merkel family last fall to see what kind of memorial they could aim to set up in Fletcher's honor. Once they settled on a bench, at one of Fletcher's favorite spots, they raised $3,000 to make it happen. "Everyone swung into action and the neighbors are just amazing for the Merkels," Brady said. "People were bringing them food for months, anything they wanted; we were there for them." Mollie said that she was happy to see some of Fletcher's friends be among the first to make use of the bench, which is now in place just ahead of the one-year marker since the shooting. "We hope that this bench can be a place for calm and reflection," Mollie said. Earlier this summer, the Merkels started what they hope will be an annual event on Lake Harriet to teach kids how to fish and raise money for scholarships at Annunciation.Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
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