Unveiling the Inside Story of LeBron James' Decision 4: The Clippers Once Offered a $20 Million Annual Salary, and the 76ers Won Him Over with Two Key Points

On July 29, Beijing time, ESPN published a long article revealing more inside details of LeBron James' Decision 4, including his journey to choosing the 76ers and the pursuit from other teams. Here is the full ESPN report—

Seventeen days into free agency, LeBron James still had not decided on his next team. On July 17, he appeared on the stage of the Fanatics Fan Fest at the Javits Center in New York, but the roughly five thousand fans hoping to witness his official announcement were unaware of his dilemma.

As early as April, LeBron had confirmed this event—at that time, no one expected his decision to become a three-week-long topic dominating league discussions, once again proving his enduring influence in basketball. Like the day before, the 41-year-old James listed his potential teams on stage but did not reveal any preference. Privately, he struggled to finalize his next career move.

That day, James, wearing a striped baseball cap and sunglasses, talked about his ideal team environment and inadvertently said something that caught the full attention of the audience, seen as a major clue.

"I want to join a team that shares the same belief as me: building championship habits day in and day out, and most importantly, trust the process," he said. "I think when you believe in the entire process toward the goal…"

When he uttered the word "process" for the second time—the iconic slogan that the Philadelphia 76ers have used for thirteen years since former general manager Sam Hinkie initiated the radical rebuild—the audience erupted, as if James had opened his jacket to reveal a 76ers jersey underneath.

A source close to James told ESPN, "He said that completely unintentionally, not as a hidden message about the 76ers. He just thought it was funny, and it was totally offhand. He's used similar expressions for years."

Indeed, more than a decade ago, when the 76ers were struggling, James used similar language. At that time, "Trust the Process" was not yet Philadelphia's iconic catchphrase, nor as deeply ingrained as "Wooden Ice" or the Hawks' nickname, and certainly not yet the moniker of the era's only successful representative—Joel "The Process" Embiid.

On November 2, 2015, before a game between the Cavaliers and the 76ers, James said after practice, "Everything is a process. Everyone wants instant results, but everything has its process."

This scene at the Fan Fest revealed the frenzy surrounding the veteran's decision. He is about to start his 24th season, extending his own record for the longest NBA career.

A week later, the prophecy came true.

ESPN interviewed multiple sources close to James and insiders from the final candidate teams to reconstruct the 24-day decision-making battle. The league-wide impact of this decision will last far longer than the waiting period.

The story begins with James' longtime friend and Klutch Sports agent Rich Paul.Paul confirmed to ESPN that he had discussions with 27 teams, narrowing down to five final candidates: the 76ers, Cavaliers, Heat, Warriors, and Timberwolves.This ball-dominant, Hall-of-Fame-bound veteran was looking for one last chance to rewrite the final chapter of his career.

The list of suitors included some surprising names. According to ESPN sources,the Celtics, who had long been rivals with James, expressed interest in recruiting him; the Los Angeles Clippers even discussed a one-year, high-paying contract worth over $20 million annually, allowing him to continue living in his Brentwood, California home.

Equally surprising, on July 6, the Celtics traded 2024 Finals MVP Jaylen Brown to a division rival, putting the 76ers on James' radar.

Paul said that this time, his client prioritized "basketball happiness." But only James knew what that happiness meant.

Over the months, James sometimes traveled to Europe with his 2016 Cavaliers teammates for a championship reunion trip, sometimes played golf as a novice in a foursome, or returned to Akron, Ohio to meet old friends. The topic always circled back to his undecided next team.

Throughout the long wait, he remained restrained, keeping his thoughts to himself, even around his most trusted advisors.

"He listened, communicated, gathered information, but never spoke his mind," a source revealed. "No one knew his true thoughts, what he wanted. LeBron decided this time he would follow his heart and block out all external noise."

When he went to New York in mid-July for the event and to weigh his options, his wife Savannah and two children accompanied him: 21-year-old eldest son Bronny and 11-year-old daughter Zhuri. 19-year-old Bryce was unable to come due to summer basketball training at the University of Arizona.

Back in Los Angeles last week, the family continued discussions. Only after getting the approval of his family as a husband and father could James pursue the desires of a basketball player.

Paul told ESPN, "As long as Savannah says yes, Zhuri will support it. The two sons are already independent and away from home."

After midnight on Thursday, James finally made his decision and called Paul to tell him the result.

The next morning, Paul contacted the 76ers to inform them that the four-time MVP, four-time champion, and all-time leading scorer was joining the team.

At 5:30 AM on Friday, James completed his workout, then went to the Lakeside Golf Club in Burbank, California for a round of golf, officially starting the signing process.

Paul notified all candidate teams of the result, and James teamed up with Topps to announce the news on social media. In the accompanying photo, he wore a white 76ers jersey with number 23, alongside a unique limited-edition collectible card. He became the first athlete to commercialize a free agent signing in this way.

"After the announcement, he put down his phone and stopped answering any calls," a source said.

Paul's group message reached several key 76ers decision-makers: team owner Josh Harris, co-owner David Blitzer, Harris Blitzer Sports Entertainment president Bob Myers, vice president of basketball operations Jamal Nelson, and All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey.

The message was brief: "Congratulations. Final choice: 76ers."

The same message also reached a phone in Cleveland.

Paul didn't mistakenly send the congratulatory message to Cavaliers president Koby Altman—the Cavs were the runner-up. The recipient was 76ers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey. A native of Olmsted Falls, Ohio, Gansey was at home in the Midwest with his family. Gansey had spent over a decade in the Cavaliers' front office before taking over from Daryl Morey in May.

In 2001, Gansey was runner-up to James for Ohio Mr. Basketball. Even now, he still couldn't believe his dream had come true.

He went upstairs first to tell his wife Amy. Gansey recalled, "I said to her, 'Honey, we signed LeBron.' She blurted out, 'What?' I'll never forget that moment. When I saw Rich's message, my mind was just: 'Oh my god, everything is about to start.'"

Then he walked out of the house to deal with the flood of incoming calls.

"I walked back and forth on the street for about two hours. Neighbors came out and stared at me, as if saying, 'No way, you actually got him.'"

"Being in Cleveland, I had mixed feelings."

In 2016, when James led the Cavaliers to Cleveland's first professional sports championship in 52 years, Gansey was the general manager of the Cavaliers' G League affiliate. Now he leads the 76ers, a team burdened with a 43-year championship drought, and the weight is heavy on his shoulders.

Even though landing the recruitment opportunity seemed like a fantasy, Gansey and Myers always believed that the vision they presented to James was the best basketball environment among all candidates.

On July 8, Myers appeared on Paul and Max Kellerman's podcast, publicly pitching Philadelphia's prospects: a roster with the most ready-made championship conditions that James could join. Although Embiid, after winning MVP in 2023, had played only 96 games total over three years due to injuries.

Myers said, "I meant what I said on the show. People can disagree, and they can bring up Embiid's injuries. I admit the injury risk is always there, but I'm willing to bet on a healthy Embiid. On other teams, teammates can get injured too."

During the waiting period for the decision, although James kept his cards close to the chest, there were still clues that the 76ers remained in the running.

Paul consulted the team: could James live outside Philadelphia, similar to how JJ Redick lived mainly in Brooklyn while playing for the 76ers? The team's front office took the request seriously.

Meanwhile, James maintained communication with the three core players—Embiid, Maxey, and Brown—leading management to believe his interest was genuine.

Gansey recalled that after his call with James, he spoke to Embiid: "Embiid just told me, 'I guarantee I can stay healthy.'" The 31-year-old center had been plagued by injuries in recent years: knee issues, Bell's palsy, and even emergency surgery for acute appendicitis.

"I asked him, 'What do you think?' Embiid replied, 'I don't know. I can't read LeBron's mind.'"

Sources revealed that James met with owner Josh Harris at the Fan Fest Jay-Z pop-up 40/40 Club. On the night of the 2003 draft, when James began his career as the No. 1 pick, he also celebrated there with family and friends. ESPN's Shams reported that James also spoke on the phone with 76ers head coach Nick Nurse—the only head coach among all candidate teams to directly communicate with him.

All signs had already been laid out.

A source familiar with James' thinking explained to ESPN that Philadelphia ultimately satisfied his pursuit of basketball happiness: "LeBron kept weighing: where can he fully commit every day and go all out for a championship?"

If he could win a championship in Philadelphia, a passionate sports city, the story would be even more compelling.

"What most impressed him about the 76ers was the passionate fan base and the long championship drought," the source said.

Choosing Philadelphia as his fourth career stop meant James rejected all other options.

He would not return to Cleveland for a third time; he would not go back to South Beach to form a new Big Three with Giannis and Adebayo; he would not go to Golden State to team up with generational legend Curry; he would not go to Minnesota to serve as an older brother to the backcourt duo of LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards; and he would not return to the Lakers to play alongside Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and his eldest son.

Countless rumors circulated analyzing why other teams lost out, but only James knew the answer. ESPN interviewed insiders from all participating teams, and none of the front offices were truly confident they would sign James.

A Heat insider said, "Things are unpredictable. Pat Riley always says the roster isn't final until it's set. We don't get too caught up in fantasies too early."

People close to James believed that the Lakers' front office was already prepared to part ways with the 22-time All-Star. Even though basketball operations president Rob Pelinka expressed willingness to extend his contract at the end-of-season press conference, the sincerity from both sides was lacking after the Lakers were swept by the Thunder in the second round.

Since the official announcement, multiple 76ers insiders and sources close to James have agreed: choosing Philadelphia was a bold gamble.

If he had gone to any other candidate team, the narrative of his career's final chapter would have been more easily accepted by the public, regardless of whether he won a fifth championship.

But Philadelphia was different. To reach his own definition of success, James would have to replicate his achievements in Cleveland, Miami, and Los Angeles by bringing a championship to the 76ers, becoming the first player to win titles with four different teams. A 76ers source commented, "He didn't take the easy road. He enjoys the challenge of being an underdog. Most people can't do that."

A person close to James added, "This makes me respect him even more. Ordinary people treat work as just a job. Imagine: you've been in the industry for over twenty years, only a few years away from retirement. Would you be willing to move to Philadelphia? Take a six-hour flight, leave your family you've rooted for years, and go to a strange city? That's pure passion for the game, all for basketball."

No legendary player before him had ever walked this path, including Michael Jordan. In 2016, James told Sports Illustrated, "My motivation is the ghost I've been chasing, the ghost who wore the Chicago jersey."

James could never replicate Jordan's perfect 6-0 Finals record—after losing his first Finals appearance in 2007, that possibility was gone. But if he completes the two-year, $8 million contract with the 76ers, he will play his 25th season, a full ten seasons more than Jordan. This longevity record is something Jordan's legend cannot touch.

No one knows if the journey will stop there.

Paul told ESPN, "Philadelphia will reignite his fire. Maybe he'll play two seasons, or even four."

Four seasons would mean he plays until age 45, becoming the second-oldest player in history. When discussing his long career, the 40-year-old veteran did not compare himself to Nat Hickey or Kevin Willis. On the Fan Fest stage, he cited other role models: 56-year-old Jay-Z, 76-year-old Bruce Springsteen, and the Rolling Stones, who are still performing in their eighties.

"We pour all our passion into our careers, and we still keep creating value. As long as the passion is still there, why can't we continue? I just want to squeeze out every last bit of energy I have."

Still on the stage, continuing to perform, continuing to create value. Paul said bluntly, "As long as LeBron is playing, he can still make eight figures a year."

But if he were just chasing money, he could have stayed in Los Angeles and joined the Clippers.

In the end, the last major decision of his career was solely about finding a basketball environment where he could fully immerse himself, chosen by himself.

He wanted to create his own opportunities and silence the doubters—many would say this choice would only lead him to repeat Jordan's Wizards years, unable to recapture the magic of the Chicago era.

This final decision, he didn't need to be loyal to anyone, only to his own basketball principles.

Paul said, "There is no absolute loyalty in the business world, especially for athletes. It's like playing blackjack: your two cards are face up, but the dealer only shows one. You don't keep losing twenty hands just because you're loyal to the dealer. When the time comes, you switch to a new table."