LeBron James Claimed 'Trust The Process' Comment Wasn't A Hint Before Signing With 76ers

It sure seems like LeBron James was going to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers all along ... 'cause the King's comments from last week are resurfacing on Friday -- and it couldn't have been more obvious.

James made a number of podcast appearances during Fanatics Fest in NYC ... and during a live episode of "Mind The Game," his guest co-host Tyrese Haliburton had an interesting way to ask a question about his career.

"What are you going on, year 76??" Hali asked. The four-time champion joked it was more like year 79 ... and the two continued with the chat. Chances are Haliburton was in the know prior to taking the stage, as James even admitted they addressed the topic beforehand.

In a separate interview on "The Shop," James was not-so-subtle ... when he said the Sixers' signature "Trust The Process" slogan not one, but TWO times when asked about his impending decision at the time.

As soon as James said it, the fans in the crowd went NUTS ... assuming that was a massive breadcrumb.

James and co-hosts Taco Bennett and Steelo Brim immediately tried to put out the fire ... claiming it was a phrase long before Philly adopted it. But if Bennett and Brim didn't already know where he intended to sign, why would they get so defensive??

Based on these two instances, it's fair to assume James actually DID know what he planned to do last week ... and he dragged the announcement along to play the entire NBA yet again.

As we previously reported, James is chasing more rings with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown and the rest of the Sixers ... who got swept by the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals this past season.