LeBron James said he once pictured ending his career in a New York Knicks uniform at Madison Square Garden.
Then the Knicks won the NBA championship, and the vision disappeared.
“I had visions of playing in [Madison Square] Garden and finishing my career in the Garden… But after they beat San Antonio, I was like, Hey, I can’t. I couldn’t do it,” James said Monday.
The four-time champion made the comments at Philadelphia 76ers media day as he prepared for his 24th NBA season and first with the 76ers.
James, 41, left the Los Angeles Lakers after eight seasons and signed a two-year, $8 million contract with a player option in Philadelphia. The deal represented a steep pay cut from the roughly $52 million he earned in his final Lakers season.
The New York Knicks ended a 53-year title drought in June by beating the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the 2026 NBA Finals. Jalen Brunson was named Finals MVP after scoring 45 points in the closeout Game 5 victory in San Antonio.
James said joining the newly crowned champions would have invited too much criticism this late in his career.
“Y’all wouldn’t have let me lay that down, at all,” he said, referring to the media reaction he expected.
He added praise for the team that closed the door on his Garden plan.
“But much respect to the Knicks, obviously. An unbelievable team, unbelievable players. Shout out Jalen Brunson. I love that guy, he’s unbelievable. But, yeah, I’m happy where I’m at, and I’m looking forward to it.”
James called Madison Square Garden “one of the best places I’ve ever played” and “the No. 1 arena in the world, as far as for a basketball player.”
His agent, Rich Paul, had said earlier in the offseason that James would have gone to the Knicks if they had not won the title. James confirmed the thinking Monday while listing the five teams that remained in his final decision: the 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Knicks swept Philadelphia in the second round of last season’s playoffs, winning by an average of 22.3 points per game. James will face them again on opening night Oct. 20 at the Garden, when New York raises its championship banner.
James has long spoken fondly of the Garden even while passing on earlier chances to join the Knicks, most notably in 2010. This time the championship itself changed the calculation.
He said he is focused on the present with the 76ers rather than any timeline for retirement after the current contract.
The 76ers added James after a busy offseason that also included acquiring Jaylen Brown. James said he wants another championship and believes the roster can compete for one.
He will split time between Philadelphia and New York while playing for the 76ers. The regular-season schedule also includes a Feb. 27 return to the Garden.
James enters the season as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and a four-time league MVP. Whether the 76ers become his final stop remains unannounced.
For now he has ruled out the destination he once imagined most clearly.
