LeBron James New York commute could complicate Sixers move
LeBron James may live in New York while playing for Philadelphia, raising helicopter, tax and residency questions after a veteran-minimum deal.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
A possible LeBron James New York commute is now part of the conversation around his move to the Philadelphia 76ers. Basketball insiders said James could live in New York and travel by helicopter to Philadelphia for practices and games, a plan that would add tax and transportation complications to an already unusual contract.
James has not said where he plans to live. Shams Charania said the chance to keep a New York base while commuting to Sixers obligations by helicopter helped make Philadelphia more appealing, according to posts cited by basketball insiders on X.
The arrangement would come after James signed a two-year, $8 million contract with Philadelphia, according to Fortune. Fortune reported that the deal puts him at the NBA veteran minimum and represents a pay cut of about $48 million, more than 90% below what he earned last season with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Could LeBron James live in New York and commute to Philadelphia?
Several public examples show that a New York-to-Philadelphia basketball commute is possible. J.J. Redick lived in Brooklyn while playing for the 76ers from 2017 to 2019, according to Fortune, and Wilt Chamberlain also lived in New York during part of his time with Philadelphia while running a Harlem nightclub.
A helicopter can make the trip faster. Fortune reported that flights between New York City and Philadelphia take about 45 minutes over roughly 150 kilometers, compared with about 90 minutes by car, and that charter operators already serve the route between Manhattan lounges and Philadelphia-area heliports.
New York was also tied to James during free agency. Hoops Wire reported that people around James contacted the Knicks, but New York did not pursue him because it wanted to keep together the roster that had just won a championship.
What tax issues could a New York residence create?
If James lives in New York while working for the Sixers, his tax situation could be more complicated than a normal player residency question. Fortune reported that a New York resident working in Philadelphia would owe Philadelphia’s nonresident wage tax while also owing New York state and city resident taxes, with uncertainty over whether credits would fully offset the overlap.
Real estate could add another cost if James buys rather than rents. Fortune reported that New York’s pied-à-terre tax took effect July 1 and applies to second homes valued at $1 million or more, with homes above $5 million facing a 6.5% annual surcharge.
The governor of New York’s X account joked about the possibility by posting “LePied-a-Terre,” according to Fortune. James has not announced any purchase or rental plan in New York.
Why helicopters are a political problem in New York
The commute idea also intersects with a fight over helicopter traffic in New York City. Fortune reported that Mayor Zohran Mamdani said during last year’s campaign that he opposed nonessential helicopter flights after a tourist helicopter crashed into the Hudson River, killing six people.
Opponents of helicopter traffic are pressing for restrictions at city-owned heliports, according to Fortune. The city recorded more than 17,000 helicopter noise complaints in the 12 months through June, and a city council proposal would restrict the two city-owned Manhattan heliports to essential flights only.
Philadelphia could still benefit substantially from James’s arrival. The Boyd Company, a corporate location consulting firm, estimated that his first season with the 76ers would generate between $250 million and $430 million in regional economic activity, according to Fortune.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.