Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro declared Friday “LeBron James Day” across the commonwealth, 14 minutes after the NBA’s all-time leading scorer announced he was signing with the Philadelphia 76ers.
The proclamation does not close state offices, alter school calendars or create a legal holiday. Pennsylvania’s legal holidays are set in state law.
James, 41, is signing a two-year, $8 million contract with a player option, Klutch Sports Group CEO Rich Paul told ESPN’s Shams Charania. The first year is worth the veteran minimum of $3.9 million.
James earned more than $52 million with the Los Angeles Lakers last season, his eighth and final year with the franchise. He informed the team on June 30 that he intended to explore his options.
It will be his 24th NBA season and his fourth franchise, after Cleveland, Miami, Cleveland again and Los Angeles.
James announced the decision himself in a series of posts on X on Friday morning. He wrote that he had seriously weighed retirement, called the move “my last decision” and said he believes he can help make the 76ers a championship team.
“I hereby proclaim today to be LEBRON JAMES DAY,” the governor wrote, citing both the power of his office and his own allegiance to the Sixers.
The proclamation traces James’ rise from Akron, Ohio, where he was born in 1984 and raised by his mother, Gloria James, to his selection first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2003 NBA draft at 18. It lists his four NBA championships and four NBA Finals MVP awards, his four league MVP awards, 22 All-Star selections, three Olympic gold medals and his 2023 rise to the top of the league’s career scoring list.
The proclamation also credits James with founding programs to keep at-risk youth in school, funding scholarships and college support, and establishing community hubs addressing emergency housing and food insecurity.
“Pennsylvania is honored to welcome LeBron James to our Commonwealth,” the document reads, adding that he joins the 76ers “for his best season yet.”
Shapiro, a Democrat, is on the ballot Nov. 3 seeking a second term against Republican state Treasurer Stacy Garrity. Governors of both parties routinely issue honorary proclamations for athletes, teams and civic causes.
Saquon Barkley, the Philadelphia Eagles running back and Whitehall High School graduate, welcomed James on X.
“Welcome to the city! Let me know when you tryna tee it up,” Barkley wrote.
James joins a roster that includes center Joel Embiid, guard Tyrese Maxey, guard VJ Edgecombe and forward Jaylen Brown, acquired from the Boston Celtics earlier this month. Philadelphia has not won an NBA title since 1983.