"Why just say I'm done?" Ex-Lakers legend LeBron James on returning for a 24th season

The shocking offseason decision by legendary NBA superstar LeBron James left the basketball world stunned. After serving as the face of the Los Angeles Lakers for eight years, the 22-time NBA All-Star decided to join the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency this July.

After playing four preseason games, James will officially debut for the 76ers on Oct. 20 in an away game against the New York Knicks.

On Thursday, during Steve Nash’s "Mind the Game" podcast, James explained his reasoning for leaving the Lakers to join the 76ers. The four-time NBA champion said that his mindset is fully prepared for his 24th NBA season.

“I felt like my body responded very well after the season. My mind responded better than it actually did last season. The only thing that I continue to say to myself was, If you still have an opportunity to do what you love, why just say I’m done?”

“If your wife is saying, 'Continue to go if you want to?' If your daughter and your two boys are like, "Yeah, do what you do. We going to be here." That's what it came down to.”

After entering free agency, 76ers point guard Tyrese Maxey was the first person to call James. James mentioned that his relationship with Maxey goes far beyond just basketball.

"My relationship with Tyrese Maxey goes beyond the court,” James said. “When I've mentioned him in the past on the podcast, Philly was not even a question. I didn't even know – obviously, it's way before the [Jaylen Brown] trade as well, which is another intriguing piece. But I just love everything about Tyrese Maxey, man. He's just – every day, you get the same person. And that is very rare, in sports and obviously super rare in life. And I've always talked about how great of a person he is… When I became a free agent and we decided to let the Lakers know that I wouldn't be returning, he was one of the first people that was on my line, calling me…”

The 76ers acquiring Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics became the second major reason for this decision. James said that Brown is a “misunderstood” player.

"I just think any time someone moves to their own beat, it makes someone uncomfortable. He has his own voice, he moves to the sound of his own beat; it makes people uncomfortable because it's not what everyone is accustomed to," James said. "So when it becomes misunderstood, then it becomes intimidating, and people look at it as, like, 'I don't want to be around that,' because they feel intimidated by it. There's an energy they don't feel comfortable with."

James's main goal in Philadelphia is to help seven-time NBA All-Star Joel Embiid win his first NBA championship. According to James, Embiid has every individual award, and now he wants to provide him with the blueprint to win a title.

The 76ers have a great combination of experienced players like Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope alongside young talent like VJ Edgecombe and Maxey. James also has full confidence in head coach Nick Nurse's defensive system.