LeBron James has signed with the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason, but it doesn’t look like he’ll be staying in the City of Brotherly Love. According to multiple reports, James might be staying in New York and commuting to Philadelphia by helicopter.
Now, James, who has a $1.4 billion net worth according to Forbes, can easily afford to do this, but it won’t be cheap. So, how much would the 41-year-old be spending?
Well, X user Aakash Gupta estimates James, who signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the 76ers, would be forking out over $800,000 a season.
“Run the numbers,” Gupta wrote. “Shams says the flight is 45 minutes from Manhattan. Twin-engine charter rates run $3,000 to $5,000 an hour, so call it $8,000 a round trip. With 41 home games plus practices, that’s 100+ commuting days. $800K a season, minimum.”
Gupta sees staying in Manhattan instead of Philadelphia adding over $300,000 to James’ tax bill as well, based on his salary. So, that would be more than $1 million that the 22-time All-Star would be spending if he does indeed go down this route.
Now, not staying in Philadelphia while playing for the 76ers isn’t something that James will be the first to do. JJ Redick notably did it less than 10 years ago, and Wilt Chamberlain did it way back in the day. They were making the trip by land, though, not by helicopter.
James isn’t going to stay up all night and think about the financial implications, however. According to Spotrac, he has made $581 million in salary so far in his NBA career.
To go with this, Forbes had James earning $85 million off the court in their list of the world’s highest-paid athletes in 2026. Only MLB star Shohei Ohtani was higher at $125 million.
So, a $3.8 million salary in 2026-27 isn’t going to stop James from considering these helicopter trips. It’s a drop in the ocean for someone like him.
This was also why James was comfortable playing on that salary. He averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2025-26, and is easily worth more than a $4 million per year deal.
James’ focus, though, was on going to a team that gives him the best chance of winning his fifth title. He identified the 76ers as that team, as they have Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, and VJ Edgecombe. That might be the best starting lineup in the NBA now.
The 76ers last won a championship in 1983, and last reached the NBA Finals in 2001. That was also the last time they made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, so this is a team and a fanbase that are starved for success. James’ arrival might just be what ends up getting the 76ers to the Promised Land.
