Tom Brady, LeBron, Jeter UNITE and Fanatics Fest
FOX Business’ Madison Alworth reports live from Fanatics Fest in New York City, detailing the huge gathering of sports fans and athletes. CEO Lance Fensterman reveals that megastars like Serena Williams and David Beckham are participating. The festival expects 200,000 attendees over its four-day run, showing its significant growth since 2022.
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LeBron James didn’t announce his next team at Fanatics Fest on Thursday, but he sure stirred the pot.
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer is a free agent and has said he wants to play in an unprecedented 24th NBA season, but it remains to be seen where he will go.
Common teams in the speculated match have been the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers and Philadelphia 76ers. But during a live taping of his “Mind the Game” podcast with Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton at the event, James uttered a three-word phrase that has often been associated with the latter team.
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LeBron James speaks onstage during The Shop Live panel at Fanatics Fest NYC 2026 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City on July 17, 2026. (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Fanatics)
“I want to join a franchise that shares the same model of practicing championship habits every day, but trusting the process more than anything else,” James said. “You trust the process of actually-“
James was then cut off by fans who were hissing and aahing as “trust the process” has been the Sixers’ de facto motto for over a decade.
“Hold on, hold on, hold on,” Tyrese Haliburton chimed in.
However, James was adamant that it was not an Easter egg.
LeBron James speaks onstage during the Mind the Game panel at Fanatics Fest NYC 2026 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City on July 16, 2026. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Fanatics)
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“I have been saying trust the process since I was appointed in 2003, even before [Joel] Embiid was born,” James clapped back.
James told fans he “won’t hold you up much longer.”
“It’s a big decision not only for myself but for my family as well. It’s not just about the team,” James insisted, adding a joke that his own son, Bronny, is now a former team-mate.
“There are so many other factors that I’m taking into account right now, what’s best for me as a player, what’s best for me as a person, and what’s best for my happiness, and also my family.”
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James stands on the court in the closing minutes of Game 4 of a second-round NBA playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder on May 11, 2026, in Los Angeles. (Mark J. Terrill/AP)
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James, 41, averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds last season, helping the Lakers win a playoff series while Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves nursed injuries.
