RESOLVING THE LEDGER
This is one outlet's own report from Yahoo Sports — the article as it was filed. Other outlets are covering the same event; open the full story to compare every source side by side.
See the full story · 2 sourcesLeBron James-ESPN documentary, explained: What to know about reported 'Last Dance'-style film for NBA legend originally appeared on The Sporting News .
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
LeBron James' first season with the 76ers might not be his last in the NBA. The 41-year-old has a player option for a second year, and agent Rich Paul recently told ESPN he could be energized enough to play anywhere between two and four more seasons.
Regardless of how it turns out, the cameras will be rolling.
James is "closing in" on an agreement for a documentary resembling Michael Jordan's "The Last Dance" series, which captivated nostalgic fans in 2020.
Here's what we know about the reported documentary centering on James.
MORE: Inside LeBron James' decision to join 76ers
LeBron James-ESPN documentary
James and ESPN are working toward an agreement on a "behind-the-scenes documentary" for the upcoming season, The Athletic's Andrew Marchand reports .
Talks are on the "one-yard line," the outlet says, so the deal appears likely to be finalized.
The financial terms of the deal aren't clear, and there is no reported date for the completion of the documentary. The Athletic reports James "will have a camera crew documenting his time with the Philadelphia 76ers," which indicates it may not just be a one-year project if the NBA legend opts to play more than one season in Philadelphia.
The series will certainly remind fans of "The Last Dance," which documented the end of Michael Jordan's legendary tenure with the Bulls . The documentary focused on Jordan's final season in Chicago, which ended in a championship, but it also touched on other highlights of his career and his rivalries with other stars.
Maverick Carter, a longtime ally of James, denies that the documentary will resembles Jordan's, reiterating that James doesn't know if this is his final season.
We are NOT doing anything like the “last dance” LeBron doesn’t even know when his last season is
— Maverick Carter (@mavcarter) July 30, 2026 MORE LEBRON JAMES NEWS:
Why LeBron James took massive pay cut to sign with 76ers
First look at 76ers projected lineup with LeBron James
How LeBron James joining 76ers impacts NBA odds
What will be in LeBron James-ESPN documentary?
The documentary will reportedly focus on James' time with the 76ers, but it's also set to include footage from earlier in his career, including "some never-before-seen footage" from camera crews that have followed him since his rookie season.
How much of that footage is available and how much of the documentary will be older footage compared to newer footage isn't clear, but James has played his career in an era in which cameras are just about everywhere, at least compared to Jordan.
It's also unclear whether the project will focus on the upcoming season or James' entire tenure with the 76ers if he opts to continue his career past 2027.
MORE: Can the 76ers win a title with LeBron James?
When will LeBron James-ESPN documentary air?
There is no release date reported for James' ESPN documentary. If it's dependent on James' retirement, it could be quite a while before anyone knows when the project will be complete.
Jordan's documentary didn't air until 22 years after the end of his tenure with the Bulls and 17 years after the end of his NBA career, but that was the result of Jordan owning the rights to the footage and only deciding to move forward with a project long after his playing days ended. Still, ESPN struck gold by releasing "The Last Dance" during the COVID-19 pandemic, when sports were completely frozen out.
Assuming this agreement is finalized, James is giving ESPN the rights to the footage, meaning fans shouldn't have to wait long at all to see it.
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.