LeBron James has spent this offseason making headlines about where he will play next. He made the shocking decision to move to the Philadelphia 76ers and has been in the headlines, unsurprisingly, since then.
But a new report on how his career might end briefly took over the conversation. It did not take long for someone close to James to push back on it. The response came directly from one of his longest tenured business partners.
LeBron James’ Close Friend Speaks Out On NBA Legend’s Retirement
A report from The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand on Thursday suggested that James and ESPN were nearing an agreement on a documentary series chronicling his tenure with the Philadelphia 76ers, similar in style to Michael Jordan’s “The Last Dance,” which covered the Chicago Bulls’ final championship season in 1997-98.
According to Marchand, talks between both sides had reached the “1-yard line,” with James expected to have a camera crew embedded with him throughout his time in Philly.
Maverick Carter, James’ longtime business manager and close friend, quickly disputed the report on X.
We are NOT doing anything like the “last dance” LeBron doesn’t even know when his last season is
— Maverick Carter (@mavcarter) July 30, 2026
“We are NOT doing anything like the ‘last dance.’ LeBron doesn’t even know when his last season is,” Carter wrote. James himself later reposted Carter’s admission to his own X timeline, which can be taken as an indication that the four-time champ also echoes the same opinion.
The comment clearly signaled that James does not view his time in Philadelphia as a farewell tour, despite turning 42 next season. James signed a two-year deal with Philadelphia that includes a player option, leaving open the possibility that his run with the Sixers extends well beyond the upcoming season.
Rich Paul, James’ longtime agent, told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin after the signing that he expects the move to Philadelphia to reinvigorate James rather than signal the beginning of the end.
“I think Philadelphia’s going to energize him,” Paul said. “Maybe we get two [seasons]. Maybe we get four.”
James remained a productive player during his final season with the Los Angeles Lakers, averaging 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, and 6.1 rebounds per game while shooting 51.5 percent from the field and 31.7 percent from three.
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The numbers clearly indicate that James can make a solid contribution to the team, even to a star-studded team featuring the likes of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, and VJ Edgecombe.
Whether a Last Dance-style documentary will eventually be made remains an open question, given how far along talks are reportedly. But for now, at least according to his own camp, the ending itself has not been decided.
