Dawn Staley elated that LeBron James is signing with the 76ers

Michael Sauls, The State on Jul 24, 2026

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COLUMBIA, S.C. — Dawn Staley might be the happiest basketball fan on the planet. And no, it’s not for any South Carolina-related reasons.

News broke Friday that NBA legend LeBron James is signing a two-year, $8 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported.

Staley is a proud Philly native and wears her love for her hometown on her sleeve. So it makes sense she immediately took to social media and posted a 38-second video of her celebrating the fact her favorite team signed arguably the best player in NBA history.

Staley recorded the video from the sidelines of a recruiting event and went as far to offer James and his wife, Savannah, help in finding schools for their daughter, Zhuri.

“Philly?! The Sixers?! Yo, Philly. Yo, Philly. Yo, Philly. Yo, Philly. We got the king, y'all. We got the king. We got the king!” Staley said. “ Welcome to Philly, Bron! Let me know if you need any spots. Let me know if Zhuri needs any place to go to school. We know the entire school districts. Savannah, we got you. ... Bron, good, great choice, my guy.”

James’ decision to sign with the 76ers ends his nearly month-long time on the free agency market. On June 30, he announced he would be playing his 24th NBA season with a new team after spending the previous eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers.

So began a month full of free agency rumors and pitches from teams and fans alike around the league.

One of those fans was Staley, who took to X/Twitter on July 1 after a report from The Athletic said Philadelphia had expressed interest in acquiring James, to make a pitch to the future NBA Hall of Famer.

“Lawd. ... (LeBron James) you about that Philly life?!!” Staley posted.

The major move is just the latest in what has been a good summer for Staley and other 76ers fans. Philadelphia has formed that will be favorites for the 2027 NBA title. Last month, the 76ers pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Boston Celtics for MVP candidate Jaylen Brown.

The 76ers have now paired Brown and James (a 22-time All-Star and four-time NBA champion, as well as the league’s all-time leading scorer) with current all-stars in Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid.

“I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time,” James said on social media.