Key Takeaways
- LeBron James said his off-court relationship with Tyrese Maxey influenced his decision to join Philadelphia.
- James said he and Maxey have trained together during the summer for five years.
- The 76ers open the preseason at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Monday (Oct. 5) and the regular season at MSG on Oct. 20.
LeBron James signing with the Philadelphia 76ers was definitely not on our 2026 bingo cards, and after revealing he would’ve gone with the New York Knicks had they not won a championship, you can’t help but wonder why he ultimately landed in the City of Brotherly Love. Well, on Wednesday (Sept. 30), the NBA star revealed what — or, more specifically, who — played a part in his decision: Tyrese Maxey.
The point guard, who’s been with the 76ers since being drafted into the league in 2020, made 2026’s TIME100 Next list, with James himself penning a letter about him. “I’ve seen him grow so much as a leader for our team on and off the floor. He’s been doing the work, and it shows,” the father of three said of his new teammate. He went on to share that they’ve been “training together the past five years in the summertime.”
“Our relationship off the floor definitely influenced my decision to come to Philadelphia and join the 76ers. Everything that has happened to him has happened for a reason,” James continued. “His best attribute: the type of person he is. He’s a special kid, super down-to-earth, never gets too high or low, and walks in with a smile every single time. Great vibes.”
The four-time NBA champion concluded, “He’s just a joy to be around. It’s up to us as his teammates to continue to push him to be as great as he can be. I’m happy to be a part of it.”
Why LeBron James ruled out joining the New York Knicks
In case you missed it, James told ESPN on Monday (Sept. 28) that he initially had “visions of playing in the Garden” during the 76ers’ annual media day. “[It’s] one of the best places I've ever played,” he shared with the network. “I think it's the No. 1 arena in the world, as far as for a basketball player. But after they beat San Antonio, I was like, 'I, I can't.' I couldn't do it.”
“Y'all wouldn't have let me lay that down at all,” the 41-year-old hilariously added before giving props to the Knicks and Jalen Brunson. “I love that guy, he's unbelievable. But, yeah, I'm happy where I'm at, and I'm looking forward to it.” Take a look at the clip below.
LeBron James’ Philadelphia 76ers debut and opening-night matchup are almost here
We’re less than a week away from James playing his very first game with the 76ers. Philadelphia will face the Knicks in its preseason opener next Monday (Oct. 5), followed by a matchup with the Brooklyn Nets and back-to-back games against the Boston Celtics.
From there, the regular season will tip off on Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. ET. As REVOLT previously reported, the New York Knicks will host Philadelphia at Madison Square Garden, giving fans an undoubtedly exciting look at how the two teams measure up against each other. Based on the sheer number of trades we saw during free agency alone, the 2027 championship is really anybody’s for the taking.