LeBron James debuts with the 76ers; his last season ran behind his pay

2026-09-29

LeBron James made his debut with the Philadelphia 76ers, and the payroll sheet carries no terms for the move. "You guys know who I am, right?" he said.

James arrives from the Los Angeles Lakers, where he played 60 of 82 games in 2025-26.

The question for Philadelphia is which James the money is buying. The long record is clear: across 15 rated seasons since 2011-12, he carries a career WAGE Score of 74, a span in which the production ran ahead of the pay, per WAGE.

Last season read the other way. James was paid like the 12th player in the league and produced like the 69th, a WAGE Score of 32 and the Under Water tier, down from the season before.

The new season asks the production to climb back toward the career level. At the 2025-26 salary of $52.6M, the only pay figure on file, last season's rate would not cover the bill.