Speaking during 76ers Media Day, James said he had "visions" of playing at Madison Square Garden and finishing his career there, describing it as his favourite arena to play in.
But New York winning the 2026 NBA championship changed his thinking.
James said joining the Knicks immediately after their title would have brought a level of criticism he did not want, leading him to remove New York from consideration.
His eventual free-agency decision came down to Philadelphia, Cleveland, Golden State, Miami and Minnesota.
James ultimately chose the 76ers, with his relationship with Tyrese Maxey and the opportunity to compete alongside Philadelphia's existing core playing important roles in the decision.
The 41-year-old signed a two-year, $8 million contract with Philadelphia this summer and is preparing for his record-extending 24th NBA season.
LeBron James and the Knicks has been one of those NBA possibilities discussed for so long that it almost became background noise.
Now we know there was considerably more substance behind it than another round of speculation.
James wasn't simply interested in New York. He says he could picture himself playing at Madison Square Garden and finishing his career there.
The twist is that the Knicks finally winning the championship appears to have made joining them less attractive rather than more.
For James, arriving immediately after New York had already reached the summit would inevitably have produced questions about whether he was simply attaching himself to the defending champions. At this stage of his career, he clearly didn't want that storyline following him.
Philadelphia offered something different.
The Sixers have talent capable of competing immediately, James already has a close relationship with Tyrese Maxey, and helping Philadelphia end its own championship drought would give him the opportunity to contribute to something that hasn't already been accomplished by this group.
There is also a wonderfully strange consequence to the decision.
Instead of potentially finishing his career as a Knick, James begins his Philadelphia career against the defending champions at Madison Square Garden.
LEAN EDGE VERDICT
The Knicks finally winning a championship may have cost them LeBron James.
For years, New York was repeatedly connected with him without anything materialising. This time, James himself says he could genuinely envision finishing his career at Madison Square Garden.
Then the Knicks won without him.
That changed the equation. Rather than joining a champion, James chose Philadelphia and another opportunity to try to help a franchise reach the top.
It is one of the more unusual sliding-door moments of his career, and one we probably wouldn't have known existed without James finally explaining it himself.
