LeBron took 8 million and the biggest pay cut in NBA history, and Trump called him a racist

LeBron James signed for 8 million dollars and set a record nobody wanted

A billionaire in his 41st year signs a minimum-salary contract to hunt a fifth ring. LeBron James went to Philadelphia on a two-year deal worth 8 million dollars - around 3.88 million for the 2026/27 season plus a player option of 4.07 million for the next. His previous season in Los Angeles brought him 52.6 million dollars. That is the largest pay cut in NBA history, another record in the collection of a man who already holds the records for most points, most All-NBA first team selections and most All-Star appearances. „This is my last decision. I am not going for the money. I am not going for family. What am I actually playing for at this moment?”, he wrote on X. The reality is simpler still - Philadelphia spent its money on Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown, so all it had left to offer was the veteran minimum.

Trump called LeBron a racist, and the old feud flared up again

A few hours after James's announcement, US President Donald Trump was asked at the White House who is better - Jordan or LeBron. The answer was not about basketball. „Michael Jordan is a man who is my friend, I play golf with him, he is a really good guy”, Trump said. „I think maybe LeBron is a racist. Or maybe he just does not like me. I do not know. I only like people who like me, so I would say Michael Jordan all the way.” The feud between the two has run for more than a decade - James backed Trump's opponents in 2016, 2020 and 2024, and in 2017 criticised him over the withdrawn White House invitation to Golden State. Jordan has six titles and five MVP awards, James four and four. Does the statistics side of that argument matter to anyone at all?

Hezonja returned to the NBA, Cleveland took him after failing with LeBron

While Golden State and Cleveland chased LeBron and did not catch him, somebody did put the money to use. Mario Hezonja signed a one-year deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers worth 2.8 million dollars. The Croatian returns to the US after six seasons in Europe, four of them at Real Madrid, where he activated his NBA clause before the deadline. He was the fifth pick of the 2015 draft and played 330 games during his first NBA spell with Orlando, New York and Portland, averaging 6.9 points and 3.1 rebounds in 18.5 minutes. He rebuilt his career at Panathinaikos, UNICS Kazan and Real. At 31, this is more than a second chance - it is a return leg for a player America wrote off too early.

A third straight defeat for the Macedonian juniors, Hungary closed the road to Division A

The first quarter settled it before a real game had begun. The Macedonian junior national team lost to Hungary 63:84 in Division B of the European Championship in Croatia, and after ten minutes of play the score was 6:21. Just six points and a string of turnovers - there is no coming back from that. In the second period Mišo Todorović's players showed a far better game and won it 20:19, but at half-time Hungary led 40:26. A total of 23 turnovers and poor three-point shooting - only one made in the first half. Cvetkovski scored 22 points with four rebounds and four assists, Srebrov eight, Malinić seven. With a third defeat, the chances of a quarter-final are history. The next game is on 29 July against Sweden in Rijeka. It is experience, of course. But experience here is far too often the only thing we bring home.

Pelister brought back Blagoj Dimitriev, Spasev is building his team

Pelister basketball club is putting together its squad for the 2026/27 season, and after appointing coach Tane Spasev the first officially presented name is Blagoj Dimitriev. The twenty-six-year-old returns to the Bitola club where he played a few seasons ago, arriving from Tikveš in Kavadarci. Before that he was part of Angeli and Strumica. The club has signed several players, but so far only Dimitriev has been made public. A domestic signing with a familiar biography and no great noise - exactly the type of move Macedonian basketball needs more than sensations that burn out within half a season.