Did 'math' factor into LeBron James' 76ers decision?

While most people expected LeBron James to head back to the Cleveland Cavaliers or Miami Heat, he shocked the basketball world by agreeing to sign with with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Once again, James will have a juggernaut of a team. The Sixers should now be the clear-cut favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference.

That's why, contrary to initial belief, this might not even be James' final season.

As pointed out by Devon Henderson of The Athletic, James might be aiming for more than just another ring.

Does LeBron James wants to tie Michael Jordan?

"To Mike Vorkunov's point about LeBron James saying this is his last stop, this may seem like a reach (or not) but he signed a two-year deal with Philadelphia, saying he wants to compete for more rings," Henderson wrote. 

LeBron has always been vocal about his desire to chase Michael Jordan, even calling him "the ghost that played in Chicago."

It might be a long shot, but he has a legitimate chance to do so in the City of Brotherly Love:

"He currently has 4," Henderson wrote. "The Magic number is 6. Obviously there's no guarantee of anything in the age of NBA parity, especially with Joel Embiid's health. But it's hard to feel like that math didn’t factor in a little bit."

James said in his statement that he thought he was done after last season. That certainly didn't seem to be the case when he played.

Clearly, he can still perform at a superlative level, and while anything can happen and Father Time is undefeated, the Sixers have enough depth and talent to take pressure off his shoulders and help him stay healthy and fresh for a little longer.

Whether he'll catch Jordan remains to be seen, though, and he has to aim for Kobe Byrant, Tim Duncan and Magic Johnson first.