LeBron James may have officially signed with the Philadelphia 76ers to launch his quest for a fifth NBA title, but he opted out of holding another championship belt in his new home. Following a formal invitation and a personal pitch from TNA World Champion and diehard LeBron fan, Nic Nemeth, James ultimately did not attend TNA Wrestling’s Thursday Night iMPACT! event at the Liacouras Center on July 30.

The promotion issued an open invitation to the 4x NBA champion after he announced his decision to join the 76ers. Nemeth and TNA wanted LeBron James to serve as the “Official Title Holder” during Nemeth’s high-stakes World Championship defense against living legend Jeff Hardy. The proposed duties would have seen James, a known wrestling fan, sitting ringside at Temple University’s arena before personally presenting the title belt to the winner.

Prior to the event, TMZ caught up with Nemeth who made a direct appeal to the superstar. A Cleveland native, Nemeth’s been a Cavaliers loyalist and LeBron fan for a long time. But after Bron skipped a third stint with the Cavs, he used their shared Northeast Ohio roots to bring James to Philly sooner.

“LeBron, come on, man. He didn’t pick Cleveland this last time, and we don’t hold it against you,” Nemeth said after arriving in Philadelphia. “Most of us didn’t burn our jerseys. We’re very proud of you and respected. I’m a Kent guy. We love it. Come check us out in Philly.”

Acknowledging the buzz surrounding James’ Sixers move, Nemeth emphasized that any past heartbreak among Cavs fans had faded.

“I’m not one of those people that pretended to burn my jersey because I was mad that he went to a different team,” Nemeth added. “We all, of course, wanted him back here… He made a move to Philly. Hey, we’re in Philly. You want to make some amends? The bygones are long gone.”

TNA Wrestling leaned heavily into the local hype surrounding James’ arrival in Pennsylvania, framing the championship main event between Nemeth and Hardy as a fitting welcome to the city’s newest sports megastar.

“As the Philadelphia 76ers now seriously talk titles, TNA Wrestling has a major World Championship match Thursday in Philadelphia,” the promotion stated in its official press release, capping off the announcement with a direct: “See you ringside, LeBron!”

While the promotion made clear that the invitation carried zero expectations, James was nowhere to be found at the Liacouras Center when the live broadcast went to air on AMC.

James’ absence comes as little surprise given his tight focus on preparing for his 24th NBA season after agreeing to a two-year, $8 million contract with the 76ers. Having cited winning as his primary motivation over money or location, the 41-year-old is reportedly preparing for the move.

Reports claim he’s going to live in New York while commuting to the practice facility in New Jersey and the Philly arena.

While TNA fans missed out on a rare crossover appearance, Sixers faithful remain entirely focused on seeing James raise a different trophy come next season.