“He gets to play alongside Tyrese (Haliburton) and Pascal (Siakam), which I think would be really fun and incredible.” That was Caitlin Clark’s pitch when she was asked why LeBron James should sign with the Indiana Pacers during the WNBA All-Star Weekend. She went on to praise Indiana’s basketball culture, and even promised she’d be courtside for every matchup. But while it was a conniving sales pitch, it was a short-lived one. 

On Friday, as the Fever star spoke to reporters during WNBA All-Star Weekend, news broke that James had committed to the Philadelphia 76ers. The news caught her completely off guard, she actually said, “wow” twice before the reality of the move and her failed sales pitch sank in.

“No way! I just pitched him for the Pacers. It didn’t get to him fast enough,” she said in disbelief. “Selfishly, I wanted the Warriors because Steph and Bron would have been absolutely insane together, but they have some serious talent on the 76ers. Arguably maybe one of the favorites in the Knicks and obviously my Pacers, but wow. I thought he was either going to go Miami or Cleveland, so that’s really shocking.”

At the same time, Clark made it clear that her support was always going to follow James, regardless of which team he chose. While she admitted she had hoped for a different destination, his move to Philadelphia changed little about her loyalty.

“I’m going to go wait for the NBA schedule to come out and make sure I have my tickets reserved for when the 76ers come play the Pacers because those are always hard to get. But happy for him.”

Clark’s reaction was not surprising as Caitlin Clark and LeBron James have built a close bond through their roles as Nike signature stars and two of basketball’s biggest names. Over time, James has publicly stood by Clark, shared advice on navigating constant attention, and even checked in during her 2025 injury recovery. Their connection has grown beyond the court into one built on genuine support and respect. Nevertheless, while she did have a wish, James had other plans.

On Friday, Shams Charania announced that LeBron was signing with the Philadelphia 76ers. He agreed to a 2-year, $8 million deal with a player option. CEO of Klutch Sports, Rich Paul, aka LeBron’s agent, informed ESPN. This simply means the 41-year-old is joining forces with Joel Embiid. Both stars won gold medals for the USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

At the same time, James shares a close bond with Tyrese Maxey. They spent last offseason together training. Through demanding routines, they built a strong relationship. On the other hand, despite their difference in opinion, the Akron Hammer will partner with Jaylen Brown on the floor. LeBron James sided with the ex-Celtics star when criticisms grew louder following his exit from Boston.

With LeBron by their side, the Philadelphia 76ers are looking more lethal in the East than ever before. Are they ready to finally win a championship? Guess we’ll know once the 2026-27 season rolls out.