Golden State Warriors team owner Joe Lacob opened up on the franchise’s pursuit of LeBron James during 2026 free agency.
The Warriors were among the finalists in the race to sign LeBron, but ultimately lost out to the Philadelphia 76ers.
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It seems the Warriors might have been a distant third or fourth option behind the Heat and the Cavaliers given their poor roster, outside of the tantalising team-up option with Steph Curry.
Warriors owner doesn’t know why LeBron James didn’t join them
Joe Lacob appeared on Tim Kawakami’s podcast and spoke frankly on their pursuit of LeBron this summer, revealing they were in the race to sign him and that he never got a reason from LeBron about why he chose to join the 76ers.
“We certainly were in that narrative and discussion. I think if he chose to come to us, it would have been great and very entertaining for the world. Look at the Olympics with him and Steph. But he chose to go a different route, and I can’t really tell you why because I don’t know why.”
Lacob hinted in the interview that GSW had little knowledge of how LeBron was operating this summer, with the Warriors owner unsure if LeBron even had proper discussions with them or other teams.
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LeBron’s decision to go somewhere else might force the Warriors into treating 2026-27 as a gap year with the aging Curry and Draymond Green waiting for Jimmy Butler to return from his torn ACL.
Why LeBron James would snub the Warriors
The Warriors are simply not competitive enough. James’ decision to join the 76ers shows he wants to win another championship and do it for a city where it’ll mean something significant to them.
Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
The Warriors don’t have a roster that could even come close to competing for a title next season, even if LeBron joined, unless they made ancillary trades such as a rumored acquisition of Anthony Davis.
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Finally, the Warriors and Curry represent his biggest career rivals outside the San Antonio Spurs. Even the Spurs James fought against are almost all retired now, but the Warriors that beat him in three finals are still part of that organisation.
Instead of joining the people who beat him thrice or returning to the teams he already won a title for, LeBron has gone and started a fresh new chapter in Philadelphia.
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