Business
10 Reasons Behind His Surprising Decision to Join Philadelphia’s Sixers
LeBron James ended weeks of speculation Friday, agreeing to a two-year, $8 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, a franchise he had never previously played for and one few insiders had seriously considered a frontrunner until the final stretch of his free agency. Here’s a breakdown of the factors that appear to have driven the decision, based on James’ own statements and reporting from those closest to the process.
1. A blockbuster trade reshaped the roster
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Sixers weren’t even seriously in the conversation until Philadelphia’s front office traded Paul George and four draft picks to acquire All-NBA forward Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics earlier this month. “The Sixers were not even on the map until Bob Myers and Mike Gansey went out there and traded for Jaylen Brown,” Charania said. That trade instantly transformed Philadelphia’s championship outlook and put the team on James’ radar for the first time.
2. A roster James found genuinely compelling
Once the Brown trade went through, James reportedly compared Philadelphia’s roster directly against his other options. “LeBron James looked at that roster, he looked at the Cavaliers roster, he looked at the Heat roster. He is choosing the Philadelphia 76ers,” Charania said. The Sixers can now field a starting lineup featuring Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, James and Joel Embiid, a grouping NBC Sports described as making Philadelphia a “legit threat to make the NBA Finals.”
3. An aggressive recruiting push from the team’s stars
Philadelphia’s core didn’t wait for James to come to them. According to multiple reports, Embiid, Maxey and Brown personally reached out to James to try to persuade him to join the franchise, with ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reporting that James remained in continuous contact with the trio throughout the process.
4. James already respected Brown’s game
James’ admiration for Brown predates the trade itself. Speaking earlier this season, James praised Brown’s play directly. “He’s playing great basketball, man,” James said. “This whole MVP thing, I don’t understand why his name is not getting talked about some, as well. Like, nobody gave them a shot to start the season.”
5. One more shot at a championship
James was direct about his primary motivation in the message he posted to X announcing the decision. “I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship,” James wrote. “I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team.”
6. He explicitly said it wasn’t about money or family ties
James used his announcement to rule out the two factors many assumed would guide his decision. “This is my last decision. I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family. What am I really playing for at this point?” he wrote, a statement that helps explain why he ultimately passed on a return to Cleveland, where he began his career, or Miami, where he won two championships.
7. A dramatic pay cut that signals his true priority
James had been earning roughly $50 million per year with the Lakers. His new deal with Philadelphia pays just $8 million over two years, a reduction that multiple outlets described as one of the most surprising aspects of the entire decision. That financial sacrifice reinforces James’ own framing that competing for a title, not maximizing earnings, drove his choice.
8. He needed real time away from the game to decide
James revealed that he had quietly considered retirement before ultimately choosing to keep playing. “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,” James wrote. “I was honest at that last press conference when I said I needed to look at myself and decide if I still love this game. I still truly love this game, and I have more to give.”
9. A new challenge with an unfamiliar franchise
NBC Sports noted that James chose to “finish his career with a team he had not been on before,” a decision that came with what the outlet described as “a sense of unfamiliarity” compared with a more sentimental return to Cleveland or Miami. That willingness to embrace the unknown, rather than lean on nostalgia, appears to reflect James’ stated desire to be pushed competitively in what he has called his final chapter.
10. A front office he trusted to build a winner
James’ decision also reflects confidence in Philadelphia’s front office, led by president of basketball operations Mike Gansey, who was brought in to replace Daryl Morey. NBC Sports credited Gansey’s aggressive summer, from acquiring Brown to ultimately landing James, as a potential Executive of the Year-caliber performance, suggesting James was betting not just on the current roster but on the organization’s broader direction.
A decision that reshapes the rest of free agency
James’ announcement is expected to trigger a wave of subsequent moves across the league, with Cleveland, Philadelphia and Golden State all reportedly holding roster decisions in place while awaiting his choice. Players including DeMar DeRozan and Jonathan Kuminga were also said to be waiting on James’ decision before finalizing their own free agency plans.
A farewell to his previous teams
Even in committing to Philadelphia, James took time to acknowledge the franchises that shaped his career. “Thank you LA. Miami I’ll forever love and Northeast Ohio will always home!” he wrote, closing the book on eight seasons with the Lakers, four championship-contending years with the Heat, and his original run with the Cavaliers, as he now begins a new chapter with a fourth NBA franchise at age 41.
Business
HEQ: Discount Remains Significant, But Some Reasons To Be Cautious
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Business
Kylie Kelce Calls Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Wedding ‘Absolutely Magical’ in New Podcast Episode
Kylie Kelce is finally addressing her brother-in-law’s wedding to Taylor Swift, offering fans their first real glimpse into her thoughts on the July 3 ceremony three weeks after it took place.
Speaking on the July 23 episode of her podcast, “Not Gonna Lie,” Kelce, who is married to Travis Kelce’s older brother, Jason, offered a warm but brief tribute to the newlyweds without revealing significant new details about the celebration itself.
What Kylie Kelce said
“I would like to say congratulations to Tay and Trav. It was absolutely magical,” Kelce said during the episode. She continued, “I’m so happy for them, we love them so, so dearly. And it was only making it official because Taylor’s been part of the family now for quite some time, so that’s that.”
Kelce made clear she did not intend to share further specifics about the ceremony, instead redirecting curious fans to the couple themselves. “Anything else you can check in with Taylor and Travis about because any of the details that they want to share, they can share,” she said. “Otherwise, it was intimate and incredible and full of love both for each other and everybody else’s love for them.”
A wedding that included Kelce’s own daughters
Swift and Travis Kelce were married on July 3 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, with reports indicating more than 1,000 guests attended the celebration. According to sportscaster Rich Eisen, who attended the event and spoke about it in a July 10 interview with “Entertainment Tonight,” all four of Jason and Kylie Kelce’s daughters, Wyatt, 6, Elliotte, 5, Bennett, 3, and Finnley, 15 months, served as flower girls during the ceremony. Eisen described the family’s role warmly, telling the outlet that the Kelce family was “just awesome” and recalling the sight of the four young girls “sprinkling flower petals all over the place.”
Jason Kelce has separately described the day as “special” for the family, and previously said his daughters were “very happy” to take part in the wedding. According to a source cited by People, the ceremony was officiated by comedian Adam Sandler.
Addressing viral wedding speculation
Beyond congratulating the couple, Kelce used part of the podcast episode to push back against what she described as an inaccurate report about comments she’d made regarding the wedding. Recounting a conversation she’d had with a father and daughter at the American Century Championship golf event in Lake Tahoe earlier this month, Kelce explained that someone had filmed part of the exchange and mischaracterized it.
“One of them asked me, ‘Will there be photos posted?’ And I said, ‘Well, it just happened. You got to give them some time to bask in it. They’re in the honeymoon time,’” Kelce recalled. She continued, “He recorded the end of that and decided to say that I was commenting on the wedding and the honeymoon. No, I was just saying maybe give them, give Tay and Trav, some time.”
A long-running, publicly warm relationship
Kelce’s latest comments continue a pattern of publicly warm remarks she has made about Swift dating back to well before the wedding itself. Following news of Travis Kelce and Swift’s engagement last September, Kelce appeared on “Good Morning America” and told the program, “We could not be more excited for them and what the future holds. We love love, and we love Taylor and Trav.” She also said at the time that her daughters were “thrilled” about the engagement, adding, “They’re so excited they’re getting another aunt.”
Kelce reiterated similar sentiments on her own podcast around the same period, saying she felt “so incredibly happy” for the couple and expressing gratitude at getting “to welcome Taylor into our family in a more official capacity.”
Not always eager to discuss the details
Despite her consistently warm public tone toward the couple, Kelce has previously expressed frustration with the intensity of public interest in Swift and Travis Kelce’s relationship milestones. During an April episode of her podcast, recorded ahead of the wedding, Kelce had a pointed message for those repeatedly asking about upcoming wedding plans. “To literally everybody, I know it usually comes from a good place, not always, but quit asking me and my mother-in-law about upcoming nuptials,” she said at the time, adding bluntly that neither she nor her mother-in-law had any additional information to share.
A high-profile romance now formalized
Swift and Travis Kelce’s relationship began publicly in 2023, after Kelce revealed on his “New Heights” podcast, which he co-hosts with Jason Kelce, that he had attempted to give Swift a friendship bracelet after attending one of her Eras Tour concerts in Kansas City. Their relationship became public within weeks of that podcast episode, and Swift went on to make frequent appearances at Kansas City Chiefs games throughout the following seasons, becoming a familiar presence not just to football fans but to the broader Kelce family as well.
With Kylie Kelce having now offered her first public remarks since the wedding, and both Swift and Travis Kelce continuing to keep most specific details of the ceremony private, fans hoping for additional insight into the celebration, including any official photos, appear likely to have to wait for the couple to share that information on their own terms. As Kelce herself put it during the podcast episode, any further details about the wedding remain squarely up to “Taylor and Travis” to decide when, and whether, to share.
Business
Business Daily – Taking stock: Is AI burning cash?
Available for over a year
Will Bain is joined by Nga Pham in Hanoi and Takara Small in Toronto. Following the latest results from Alphabet and Tesla, both companies are under pressure to sustain spending as competition in artificial intelligence intensifies. Is Wall Street beginning to question the cost of the AI race?
Plus, the mounting economic impact of Canada’s wildfires, why ketchup-flavoured crisps have become such a uniquely Canadian phenomenon, and what Donald Trump’s renewed tariff negotiations could mean for global trade.
(Photo: The Google logo, made up of different coloured letters – blue, red, yellow, blue, green, orange – on the Google house at the CES consumer electronics trade show, in Las Vegas, Nevada, US, 10 January, 2024. Credit: Steve Marcus/Reuters)
You can email the team: businessdaily@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Will Bain
Producer: David Cann
Business
Some Amazon Prime customers face July 27 deadline to claim up to $51
Mike Lee explains how the ‘token flow’ from AI’s infrastructure build-out is driving significant gains in semiconductor stocks. He highlights that despite some market disbelief, the demand for chips will continue to grow exponentially.
Some Amazon Prime customers have days remaining to file claims for refunds of up to $51 under the company’s $2.5 billion settlement with the Federal Trade Commission.
Claims must be submitted by July 27, 2026, through the official settlement website. The deadline applies to eligible consumers who have not already received an automatic payment.
Amazon agreed in September 2025 to place $1.5 billion into a consumer refund fund and pay a separate $1 billion civil penalty. The company did not admit wrongdoing in agreeing to the settlement.
The FTC alleged that Amazon enrolled consumers in Prime without obtaining informed consent and made the subscription difficult to cancel. The settlement requires changes to the company’s enrollment and cancellation processes, including clearer disclosures and an easier way for customers to decline or cancel Prime.
POPULAR TEETHING TOY SOLD ON AMAZON FOR YEARS RECALLED OVER CHOKING HAZARD FOR CHILDREN

Certain Amazon Prime customers are eligible for refunds up to $51. (Isabella Falsetti/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
To qualify for the claims process, consumers must be U.S. Amazon Prime customers who signed up through one of the enrollment flows challenged by the FTC, or unsuccessfully tried to cancel online, between June 23, 2019, and June 23, 2025.
The challenged enrollment flows include Amazon’s universal Prime decision page, shipping selection page, single-page checkout and Prime Video enrollment process. Amazon will determine whether a customer enrolled through one of those flows.

Claims must be submitted by July 27, 2026, through the official settlement website. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Eligible consumers must have used more than three but fewer than 10 Prime benefits during any 12-month period of Prime enrollment and must not have already received an automatic refund.
Consumers filing a claim must confirm that they either enrolled unintentionally or tried and failed to cancel through Amazon’s online process.
Approved claimants may be reimbursed for Prime membership fees, up to $51. Submitting a claim does not guarantee payment.

Payments can be issued by check, PayPal or Venmo. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)
Payments can be issued by check, PayPal or Venmo. The FTC said Amazon expects to distribute claims-process payments in late 2026, but a specific mailing date has not been announced.
The agency is also warning consumers about refund scams. Neither the FTC nor Amazon will require a payment to release a settlement refund, and consumers should be wary of anyone promising guaranteed approval or special access.
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Business
Trump vows to investigate EU over fining of US tech companies
Donald Trump says the US will launch an investigation into the European Union and threatened a fresh tariff over fines handed to some of the biggest American tech companies.
It comes days after the European Commission fined Google €890m ($1bn) for operating in a way that squeezed out competitors to its services.
In a post to Truth Social, which Trump owns, the US president said the EU would pay a “very big price” over how it had treated Google, along with other major US tech companies Apple, Meta, and Amazon, which have also been investigated.
“The United States of America is not a “PIGGYBANK” for Europe, nor will we allow it to be!” he wrote.
Trump said any fines should be “entirely reversed” and that he was initiating a trade investigation of the EU while considering “a substantial TARIFF”.
Business
TXO Partners: Looking Great Ahead Of Q2 Earnings
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Business
Americans save more than $700M on prescription medications through TrumpRx, White House says
Johns Hopkins Health System Vice President of Clinical Innovation Dr. Peter A. Najjar explains the transformative impact of AI in the medical fields and the application of the technology for oncology and cancer patients on ‘Mornings with Maria.
New White House data obtained by FOX Business shows that Americans have saved more than $700 million on prescription medications using TrumpRx.gov and most-favored-nation pricing.
More than 800 brand-name and generic medications from the 17 largest pharmaceutical companies can be found on the website with transparent pricing.
Praluent, a powerful cholesterol medication, will be added to TrumpRx.gov on Friday. The drug helps reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack for patients.
US SHOULDERS DISPROPORTIONATE COST OF NEW MEDICATIONS, REPORT FINDS
The medication was jointly developed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Sanofi. Regeneron handles distribution and sales in the U.S. and Sanofi handles the responsibilities for the rest of the world.

President Donald Trump speaks as Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Mehmet Oz looks on during an event on drug pricing. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
The retail price of Praluent, before adding it to the most-favored-nation pricing, was $537 for a one-month supply. The new price is now 60% off at $225 for a one-month supply.
MERCK, SANOFI ARE LATEST COMPANIES TO ADD MEDICATIONS TO TRUMPRX
“TrumpRx.gov is a historic game changer for American patients, and this innovative initiative reflects how President Trump hasn’t been afraid to think outside the box to lower prescription drug prices,” said White House spokesman Kush Desai. “The addition of Praluent, a powerful cholesterol medication, is another win for TrumpRx, and the Trump administration remains focused on delivering even more savings for the American people.”

More than 800 brand-name and generic medications from the 17 largest pharmaceutical companies are available through TrumpRx. ( Spencer Platt/Getty Images))
BRISTOL MYERS SQUIBB ADDING 3 MEDICATIONS ON TRUMPRX
Pharmaceutical companies that enter into the Trump administration’s most-favored-nation pricing agreements and commit to expanding U.S. manufacturing can avoid future 100% tariffs on imported medications.

New White House data obtained by FOX Business shows that Americans have saved more than $700 million on prescriptions using TrumpRx.gov and most-favored-nation pricing. (George Frey/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Adding 100% tariffs on medications starts Aug. 1, 2028, rising to 200% a year after that.
Business
Tourist tax introduced in Edinburgh: How much is it and who pays?
The Scottish capital has become the first city in the country to introduce a charge for overnight stays.
Business
Disney options trading jumps with focus on July calls

Disney options trading jumps with focus on July calls
Business
Chris Brown Pleads Guilty to Affray Over 2023 London Nightclub Bottle Attack, Sentencing Set for October
Singer Chris Brown pleaded guilty Friday to a charge of affray stemming from a 2023 altercation at a London nightclub, resolving a case that had originally included far more serious charges of assault and grievous bodily harm before prosecutors agreed to drop them as part of the plea.
Brown, 37, entered his plea at Southwark Crown Court in a hearing that lasted less than five minutes, according to the BBC. His co-defendant, 40-year-old rapper and vocal coach Omololu Akinlolu, who performs under the name HoodyBaby, also pleaded guilty to the same charge.
What happened at the nightclub
Brown was accused of attacking Abraham Diaw, described in some reports as a former friend and music producer, at Tape nightclub in London’s upscale Mayfair neighborhood on Feb. 19, 2023. Prosecutors said the altercation was captured on surveillance camera footage outside the club, which was full of people at the time.
The affray charge accepted by both defendants states that “Chris Brown and Omololu Akinlolu on February 19 2023 used or threatened unlawful violence towards another and their conduct taken together was such as would cause a person of reasonable firmness present at the scene to fear for his personal safety.” According to Diaw’s original 2023 complaint, he was allegedly struck over the head with a bottle of Don Julio 1942 tequila during the confrontation.
Prosecutor’s statement
Claire Campbell, a senior prosecutor with the Crown Prosecution Service, described the incident in stark terms following the guilty plea. “This was a vicious and unprovoked attack by Brown and Akinlolu in a crowded nightclub where Brown used a glass bottle as a weapon to strike the victim’s head twice,” Campbell said. She added, “This kind of violence is entirely unacceptable, and the Crown Prosecution Service will work tirelessly, with the police and partners across the criminal justice system, to pursue cases like this, and prove that no one is above the law.”
Charges dropped as part of the plea
In exchange for the guilty plea to affray, prosecutors agreed to drop the more serious charges Brown and Akinlolu had faced, including assault, attempted grievous bodily harm, and, in Brown’s case, possession of an offensive weapon. Both men had previously pleaded not guilty to those original charges last June, and the case had been headed toward a trial scheduled for October before Friday’s plea deal was reached instead.
Bail and sentencing timeline
Brown was initially arrested by London’s Metropolitan Police at a hotel in Manchester on May 15, 2025, on suspicion of grievous bodily harm connected to the case. He spent several days in custody before being released on bail of £5 million, or roughly $6.7 million to $6.75 million depending on exchange rates cited across reports, on May 21. Those bail conditions allowed Brown to continue performing on the European leg of his Breezy Bowl XX tour, provided he surrendered his passport upon arrival in each country he visited.
Brown was freed on bail again following Friday’s hearing. Both he and Akinlolu are scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 26, with the affray charge carrying a maximum possible sentence of three years in prison.
A warm reception from fans outside court
Despite the criminal proceedings, Brown was greeted enthusiastically by supporters as he left the courthouse. According to Reuters, fans cheered and chanted, “Breezy! Breezy!” as he exited, and Brown stopped to sign autographs. Deadline reported that fans held signs outside the courthouse, with at least one supporter shouting, “I love you Chris,” as the singer walked past. Brown left the court wearing a tan suit, gold-rimmed sunglasses and a St. Louis Cardinals baseball cap, according to multiple outlets.
A separate civil lawsuit
Beyond the criminal case in the U.K., Diaw had also filed a civil lawsuit against Brown in November 2023, alleging in a complaint reviewed by People that Brown used “crushing blows” to strike him in the head. According to court documents from Los Angeles County reviewed by Billboard, Diaw requested last June that the civil suit be dismissed with prejudice, meaning he cannot refile it, though Brown continues to face the separate criminal proceedings in the United Kingdom tied to the same underlying incident.
Part of a broader pattern of legal issues
Brown’s guilty plea comes just weeks after he was ordered to pay nearly $13 million in damages to his former housekeeper, Maria Avila, following a dog attack at his home in 2020. Avila was mauled by a roughly 200-pound Caucasian shepherd named Hades, which Brown had kept for security purposes, and was left permanently disfigured as a result of the attack. Brown had claimed he warned Avila about the dog’s aggressive tendencies, but following a two-week trial in Los Angeles, he and his company, Black Pyramid LLC, were ordered to pay Avila $12.9 million in damages for negligence.
Brown has faced other high-profile legal matters throughout his career, most notably his 2009 guilty plea to felony assault against then-girlfriend Rihanna, a case that drew significant global media attention and led to a period of legal supervision that included subsequent probation violations and jail time in Los Angeles.
A career that has continued despite the controversies
Brown rose to fame as a teenager in 2005 and has continued to find commercial and critical success in the years since, winning his first Grammy Award for best R&B album in 2011 for “F.A.M.E.” and a second Grammy in the same category in 2025 for “11:11 (Deluxe).” His Breezy Bowl XX tour, which began in Europe last year, was permitted to continue under the terms of his U.K. bail conditions even while the criminal case remained pending.
With sentencing now scheduled for Oct. 26, both Brown and Akinlolu face a maximum of three years in prison under the affray charge, though the exact sentence will ultimately be determined by the court based on the specific circumstances of the case. Until then, Brown remains free on bail, and it remains to be seen how the pending sentencing might affect any future touring or professional commitments in the months ahead.
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