里奇·保罗：火箭系列赛如何影响勒布朗·詹姆斯加盟76人的决定

LeBron James, in his own words, was close to retiring at the end of the last season, when the Los Angeles Lakers got swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Semifinals. Instead, James arrives to the Philadelphia 76ers after signing a 2-year, $8 million deal that potentially transforms them into one of the league’s best teams.

And well, Rich Paul believes that last season’s first-round series against the Houston Rockets played a major role in convincing James that he was, even at 41, more than capable of making a difference in the NBA. Paul claimed on a recent episode of Game Over that he was happy for LeBron to have made what is the final move of his career, per a post on X by ClutchPoints.

“That series, in my opinion, convinced him to keep playing… If they somehow got swept or lose 4-1 in that series, it could be different. I think that gave us another ride.”

Rich Paul on LeBron James' win over the Rockets

(via "Game Over")pic.twitter.com/qsbxsjqrhM

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 27, 2026

“That series, in my opinion, convinced him to keep playing. I think If they somehow got swept or lose 4-1 in that series, it could be different. I am so glad because I think that gave us another ride,” Paul said.

The Lakers had arrived to the playoffs without both Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic, although the former played the final two games. Still, it was LeBron, who had finished the regular season as the third option behind the two stars, who led both teams in scoring and assists, averaging 23.2 points, 8.3 assists and 7.2 rebounds per game.

The series proved beyond measure that James could still lead teams at the biggest stages, and evidently played a major role in convincing the four-time champion himself. In his announcement, LeBron had claimed that he took weeks to make up his mind once the season ended, and was pretty sure that he had already played his last game. However, the decision to instead choose Philadelphia undoubtedly comes from the conviction that he may still be able to play a major role on a championship team.

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

And well, if the previous season is anything to go by, James undoubtedly still has a lot left to give. Even at 41, he has continued to produce at an elite level, and the 76ers undoubtedly have one of the biggest bargains of NBA history on their hands.

The post Rich Paul reveals how Rockets factored into LeBron James’ 76ers free agency decision appeared first on ClutchPoints.