LeBron James names Tyrese Maxey as main reason for joining 76ers

How Tyrese Maxey encouraged LeBron James to sign with 76ers

These comments didn’t mean much when James first uttered them, but they became more significant when he hit free agency this summer. Philadelphia immediately popped up on James’ radar when it traded for All-NBA forward Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics, and his relationship with Maxey made the destination that much more attractive.

The energetic, young star was rumored to be a major factor in James’ decision to join the 76ers, and he finally confirmed it on his “Mind The Game” podcast on Friday. Co-host Steve Nash asked the 22-time All-Star what confirmed Philadelphia as the destination, and he proceeded to go on a tangent about Maxey.

“Well, first of all, my relationship with Tyrese Maxey goes beyond the court,” said James. “I just love everything about [Maxey]. Every day you get the same person, and that is very rare in sports, and obviously super rare in life… When I became a free agent and we decided to let the [ Los Angeles] Lakers know that I wouldn’t be returning, he was one of the first people that was on my line calling me.”

James then said he won’t answer the phone for a lot of people, but he has no problem talking to Maxey anytime. Their relationship is clearly strong, and it will only grow now that the two are teammates in Philadelphia.

James is under contract for two seasons, with a player option after the first year of the deal, so he has a chance to spend multiple seasons with one of his best friends. He spoke earlier in the podcast about how if he and the team can build championship DNA, then the on-court product will take care of itself. The 76ers could be well on their way to building that DNA, as the chemistry is oozing out of Philadelphia right now.