RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. LeBron James signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers on July 24 in a stunning move that came after weeks of speculation.
After informing the Los Angeles Lakers he planned to leave, everyone had the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and Golden State Warriors as the top three contenders. Cleveland is where he started his career, Miami is where he cemented his legacy, and Golden State is where two of his good friends, Steph Curry and Draymond Green, play. Instead, he chose to team up with Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe to form one of the deadliest starting fives in the NBA .
On a recent episode of "The Draymond Green Show," Green revealed what really held James back from joining the Warriors.
"You look at Golden State, and I ultimately don't think Bron was ever able to get over the history, and I understand it, I get it. What we ultimately always knew was that that's the hurdle to get over ... He's gonna get crushed if he comes to the Warriors, 'Ahhhh man, you went to team up with Steph ... ahhh, you had to go to them.' And ultimately, I think that weighed in on the decision a lot — that played a big role in the Warriors not landing LeBron," Green said.
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James played alongside Curry on Team USA during the 2024 Paris Olympics, where they led the U.S. to a gold medal, and both earned a spot on the FIBA Summer Olympics All-Star Five, alongside Victor Wembanyama, Nikola Jokic, and Dennis Schroder. Their playing styles have always meshed well, and the idea of the two teaming up at the NBA level has been a hot topic of conversation for years. James is also close with Green — the two share the same agent, Rich Paul, and frequently vacation together.
But the three of them also share one of the NBA's most intense rivalries. James faced off against Curry, Green, and the Warriors in four straight NBA Finals from 2015 to 2018, with Golden State winning three of the four matchups. The only time James beat the Warriors was in 2016, when he led Cleveland to its first NBA championship.
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While they're all good friends, joining the very team that stood in his way for years probably wouldn't have sat well with fans. Whether or not that's the real reason James headed East instead remains unknown — but if legacy is what he cares about most, it would make sense that teaming up with Curry and Green in Golden State felt like the more damaging move.
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