LeBron James announces that he is joining the Philadelphia 76ers, framing the move as the “last decision” of his playing career. Multiple outlets recount that the connection to Philadelphia dates back to February 2018, when businessman Asher Raphael arranged for three billboards to be placed a few miles outside Cleveland. The billboards were intended as a lighthearted pitch to persuade James to consider the 76ers.
At the time, the effort did not lead to a change in James’s team decision. Later in 2018, he leaves the Cleveland Cavaliers and signs with the Los Angeles Lakers. That sequence meant the billboard plan became largely symbolic rather than predictive.
With James now selecting Philadelphia years after the earlier promotion, outlets note that Raphael’s billboard investment ultimately did not produce an immediate result—though it preceded the eventual choice. All accounts describe the same timeline and motivations: Raphael’s billboard stunt aimed at the 76ers in 2018, followed by James’s move to the Lakers later that year, and then the current announcement of joining the 76ers.
