On Thursday, during a live recording of Mind the Game, LeBron James broke his silence on his free agency decision. However, it wasn’t the response many had been waiting for. “We don’t have an announcement to make just yet,” the 41-year-old said. For a long time, he has discussed how his family influences his decisions. That trend continued after a fake report about his daughter’s next school surfaced. James hasn’t wavered on what truly matters to him, though.

James admitted at the 2026 CNBC Sport and Boardroom Game Plan Summit that his kids play an important role in his life. But his oldest son, 21-year-old Bronny, who used to be his teammate, and 19-year-old Bryce, who attends the University of Arizona, aren’t actually the ones pulling the strings.

“It’s my almost 12-year-old daughter who is pulling the weight a lot,” James told co-founder and CEO of Boardroom, Rich Kleinman. “So, going to my daughter, I was home for the 4th of July. My daughter came home after being out with her friends and cousins and everything. I pulled her to the side. Because she’s of age now. So anytime I leave, she’ll be like, ‘Dad, where are you going? I’m going with you. Where are we going?’

So I pulled her to the side, and I was like, ‘Baby, I’m letting you know. I don’t want you to hear from nobody else. But I won’t be playing for the Lakers next year. I will be playing somewhere else. So I won’t be home all the time. You may not have an answer right now. You can wait, you can write it down. Just want to know how you’re feeling about it. Because you mean a lot to me. Me being away from you means a lot.’ So the family portion is a big thing, too. My daughter and my wife and things of that nature, and I’m a big family guy.”

Right after, James also acknowledged his fans’ sentiment that many are telling him to “hurry up and make a goddamn decision,” but he reiterated that it isn’t “just” about the team.

However, around the time his family’s involvement was on record again, a fake post went viral, gaining over 2.6 million views. The caption read, “BREAKING: Photo surfacing appears to show LeBron James enrolled his child in a school in Philadelphia😳.”

However, X’s community notes feature quickly shut it down.

“This image of a school enrollment list is not real,” the note clarified. “The version without red bars shows a phone number starting with 555 which is reserved for fictional use in television and films and not used for actual US phone numbers.”

Comments from online users also suggested that if LeBron James ends up in Philadelphia, he’d most likely settle in South Jersey or West Chester, Pennsylvania. Many mentioned that most Philly athletes don’t really live on the Main Line due to privacy concerns. So, while the viral post claiming Zhuri enrolled in a new school is fake, it highlights how much speculation still surrounds the 76ers’ pursuit of James.

Yesterday’s Mind the Game episode wasn’t the first time James mentioned the important role his baby daughter plays. Back in May, during what would be his final interview as a Los Angeles Lakers star, the 41-year-old admitted that a conversation with his 12-year-old was “a big factor.”

You’d be surprised to learn that this has been a nearly consistent answer over the years. Two years ago, before James signed his final $101.36 million deal in LA, he temporarily shut down speculation by making it clear that his daughter’s volleyball games were his priority for the next few months.

Pivoting back to the present, James is now two years older and isn’t meeting with teams or front office executives directly. However, one of the 76ers’ owners still had an opportunity to speak with him.

NBC Sports Philadelphia reporter John Clark said that 76ers owner Josh Harris had a “brief, friendly conversation” with the 22-time All-Star at Fanatics Fest in New York City. It was around the same time that Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro also ran into James.

Peter Hamby of Puck News reported that Shapiro was dining with former President Bill Clinton and former Sen. Hillary Clinton at the same NY restaurant as James on Wednesday night. The NBA legend reportedly “approached” the group, and Shapiro didn’t pass up the chance to give the four-time champion a friendly pitch about the 76ers. Whatever is said and done, that team is lethal on paper with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, and VJ Edgecombe.

On the other hand, James Harden admitted that he hopes LeBron chooses “a perfect storybook finish” in Cleveland. Harden is an unrestricted free agent who opted out of his hefty $42.3 million player option to reportedly make financial room so the team can pursue priority targets, including James.

LeBron was recently seen at the 40/40 Club with Jay-Z and, notably, Draymond Green (again), after his golf session with the Warriors veteran and Kevin Hart. That played a role in fueling hopes that James might move to the Bay Area. Kerr’s three-word LeBron statement didn’t help ease the nerves either!

Then, insider Brian Windhorst also believes that the Miami Heat are a compelling destination for James, especially because Heat president Pat Riley “knows how to bring guys back.” Interestingly, during the team’s introductory press conference for the new additions at South Beach, Riley addressed Giannis Antetokounmpo’s move by saying, “We landed the plane,” but then cryptically added, “There’s another one we have to land.”

Now, none of these interactions confirm a move, but they do show how eager franchises and fanbases are to see James don their jersey.