In a social media post announcing his decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers, LeBron James revealed that he thought he was "done" following the conclusion of the 2025-26 campaign. Ultimately, the 41-year-old James decided to return for a historic 24th season, this time with a new team. According to The Athletic's David Aldridge, James' decision to play at least another season came after he felt "incomplete" after the Lakers were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the playoffs. A career such as James' is perhaps too iconic to end in a sweep in the second round, so he'll instead eye another championship. In the post announcing his decision, James said "In the post announcing his decision, James said, "to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship" drove him to Philadelphia.