LeBron James told to free himself from 'ego' before it's too late

LeBron James told to free himself from 'ego' before it's too late originally appeared on The Sporting News .

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LeBron James has signed a two-year, $8 million veteran's minimum deal with the Philadelphia 76ers . He is teaming up with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Jaylen Brown. The majority of the community agrees that this newly fortified core is built to chase one more ring.

At 41, James is chasing a fifth championship to get close to Michael Jordan's number, and the deal's player option means he could still be suiting up at 43 if he plays out a 26th season.

The Los Angeles Lakers simply did not have that level of championship-ready roster to offer but Philadelphia did. Maxey, Embiid, and Brown reached out to James personally during free agency, and that pitch was enough to get the four-time champion to leave Los Angeles behind.

Even though Philly is now a top contender in the East, James has been open about how different this phase of his life feels. He called it his "last decision" and admitted he seriously considered retiring before finally signing.

That reality hasn't been lost on the people closest to him. Maverick Carter, James' childhood friend from Akron and longtime business partner through The SpringHill Company, addressed it directly in a recent conversation with Boardroom.

Carter said he doesn't get sad about James' career winding down, calling it more of a slow realization that the end was always coming. He said some mornings he wonders if that day has arrived, and admitted he didn't expect James to keep playing this long.

He added, “He’s talked a bit during the season. I think about two or three years ago he first started, he mentioned the word retirement. Not until like year 20, year 21. And I didn’t think he would play again.”

Maverick Carter on LeBron James career coming to an end: “I don’t necessarily get sad. It’s just the realization that yes, this is ending. It would come to an end one day. And sometimes I wake up and go, “Wow, is today the day?” And the truth is, I didn’t think he’d play. I… pic.twitter.com/ONBDKub1p5

— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) July 27, 2026 Carter advised James to keep playing as long as he wants, and told him to "try and separate who you are from your ego because your ego, you know, he’s gonna be sitting on the couch one day at 55 years old watching an NBA game going, I could get 8 points in like, he’s LeBron James. His ego for till he’s dead is going to tell him, I could get a bucket in this game.”

Carter also served as the senior team captain when he and James played together at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. Few people have watched James build both his game and his empire up close for this long. He has watched "The King" build his game and his ego from day one.

James must listen to this advice and free himself from his ego because, in Philly, he is no longer the only superstar on the team. He has to share the ball and let his new teammates lead. If James wants to win one last championship before it is too late, he must forget his ego and just focus on winning.

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