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By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
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LeBron James is officially a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, teaming up with Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, and Joel Embiid to form one of the best starting lineups in the NBA.
Head coach Nick Nurse already has an NBA title under his belt with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, and the Sixers have depth too, with Anfernee Simons, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Dean Wade, and rookie Labaron Philon Jr. all coming off the bench.
Adding James to that mix makes this team must-watch television next season, and the NBA knows it. According to Front Office Sports, Philadelphia is expected to receive 34 nationally televised games during the 2026-27 season — the maximum number a team can receive and more than double what the 76ers had last season (14).
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Under the NBA's current 11-year, $76 billion media rights deal, every team gets at least two national telecasts a season — but a select few land the max of 34, reserved for teams with the biggest stars in the biggest markets.
Last year, that group included the champion Knicks, James' Lakers, Curry's Warriors, and the defending champs, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's Thunder. The Wizards, Pelicans, Jazz, Raptors, and Nets, meanwhile, were stuck with just two national games.
The NBA clearly sees the 76ers now as one of those top needle-movers thanks to the attention James naturally commands.
James is already a four-time NBA champion, four-time league MVP, 22-time All-Star, and the league's all-time leading scorer with 15,961 career points. He's also one of the world's most marketable athletes, with a net worth of over $1.4 billion — including $85 million earned off the court alone, second only to Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani ($125 million).
Everywhere he goes, people will watch, and with the 76ers already looking like arguably the best team in the Eastern Conference, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver knows people will want to tune in as much as possible next season.
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