When LeBron James agreed to join the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency, everything was taken to another level. Not only was the franchise landing one of the greatest players of all time, but also climbing into immediately championship contention.
James returns to the Eastern Conference after eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference. With James’ return to the East, however, comes an even more incredible streak that has not been broken dating back to this final days with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
LeBron James played the first 15 seasons of his illustrious NBA career in the East. After moving to the Miami Heat in 2011, James’ teams reached the NBA Finals every single season until he left the Cavs to the Lakers in 2018.
That means James has won 24 consecutive series against Eastern Conference opponents, which is an incredible streak. And then when you factor in LeBron James’ 2020 NBA Championship, which saw his Lakers defeat the Heat in the Orlando bubble, James has won 25 consecutive playoff series against the Eastern Conference.
In those eight seasons, LeBron James played 168 postseason games — 123 against the Eastern Conference. James’ teams went 96-27 against the East, a .780 win percentage, including nine series sweeps.
When accounting for the 2020 NBA Finals, James’ record improves to 100-29 against Eastern Conference opponents since 2011, a .775 win percentage.
The 2026-27 regular season will be the 24th of LeBron James’ career. His last season with the Lakers was arguably the worst of his career, statistically speaking. James averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 1.2 steals while shooting 51.5 percent from the field and 31.7 percent from three.
The NBA schedule is expected to be released in the coming weeks, with LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers expected to land 34 national TV games, the maximum amount of on a national stage allowed under the NBA’s new media rights deal that saw them split broadcasts with ESPN, Amazon, and NBC.
When LeBron James agreed to join the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency, everything was taken to another level. Not only was the franchise landing one of the greatest players of all time, but also climbing into immediately championship contention. James returns to the Eastern Conference after eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference.