The 2025/2026 NBA season has barely come to an end with the coronation of the New York Knicks, but we are already eager to see what is next. Indeed, LeBron James decided to leave the Los Angeles Lakers to try an ultimate challenge in Pennsylvania. The King will play the upcoming 2026/2027 NBA season with the jersey of the Philadelphia Sixers: good news for Joel Embiid and his dreams to get the Larry O’Brien trophy!
At 41 years old, LeBron James is still longing to get titles, and this return in the Eastern Conference is the evidence that the American legend is not done with basketball yet. After Cleveland twice, Miami and Los Angeles, the Sixers will be the fourth (and probably last) franchise of the one who dreams of a fifth trophy before retirement.
In Philly, LeBron James will play with a bunch of players who can clearly enable him to get one more ring of champion: Cameroonian center Joel Embiid is one of them. At 32 years old, the franchise player of the Sixers is still running after his first title. No doubt that the arrival of the King will help him to reach this goal since James keeps on achieving strong performances no matter his age. Embiid, but also Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: the roster of the Sixers looks very appealing on paper.
Is it going to be enough to challenge the Knicks? The Big Apple franchise chose continuity, and no big change is expected in the roster that became champion against the Spurs a couple of weeks ago. The only significant move is related to American center Mitchell Robinson, who left New York for Boston. He was replaced by Andre Drummond, who is coming from Philadelphia.
Guillaume Mahot