Josh Shapiro declares ‘Lebron James Day’ after basketball legend signs with 76ers

Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) is celebrating basketball superstar Lebron James with James’s own day after he announced his move to the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.“LEBRON IS COMING TO PHILLY. By the power vested in me as the Governor of the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and a die-hard Sixers fan… I hereby proclaim today to be LEBRON JAMES DAY. Welcome to the City of Brotherly Love, @KingJames,” Shapiro said on X on Friday.Shapiro shared a proclamation from the governor’s office recognizing July 24, 2026, as Lebron James Day. “WHEREAS, born in Akron, Ohio in 1984 and raised by his mother, Gloria James, Lebron James overcame numerous obstacles and is now regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time,” the proclamation read. LEBRON IS COMING TO PHILLY.By the power vested in me as the Governor of the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and a die-hard Sixers fan… I hereby proclaim today to be LEBRON JAMES DAY.Welcome to the City of Brotherly Love, @KingJames. pic.twitter.com/JHsNkCFyyN— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) July 24, 2026 James announced on X on Friday that he is joining the 76ers.“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. I thought I was done when the season ended. I wasn't ready to announce it, and I knew I needed some time to really decide, but I was pretty sure I played my last game. I was honest at that last press conference when I said I needed to look at myself and deicide if I still love— LeBron James (@KingJames) July 24, 2026 The move ends his long run with the Los Angeles Lakers. DOWNTOWN DC PREPARES FOR FREEDOM250 GRAND PRIX: WHAT TO KNOW“A four-time NBA champion, James wrote he was ‘done’ when his 23rd NBA season ended and that it was his last with the Los Angeles Lakers,” a press release said.The 76ers have not won an NBA championship since 1983. James has won four titles across his 23-year career.