It's going to take some time to adjust to the sight of LeBron James in a Philadelphia 76ers uniform, but that's where James chose to finish his NBA career in a surprise announcement on Friday, ending one of the longest free agency sagas in recent memory.
James revealed that he ultimately landed with the Sixers because he believes he could help elevate them to a championship -- his fifth and the franchise's first since 1983. How Philly became the team that James felt was his best fit is fascinating, and the Sixers can thank their two biggest rivals -- the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks -- for paving the way for James' arrival.
The Celtics' piece of the puzzle is fairly obvious. Boston electing to accept Philadelphia's offer of Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks for Jaylen Brown made the Sixers look even more like a legitimate contender in the East. Brown, coming off his best season as a pro, should give the Sixers the kind of production they've been desperately seeking on the wing ever since Jimmy Butler's departure in 2019. Tobias Harris and George failed to live up to expectations in that role for various reasons, but Brown has proven himself as a bonafide two-way wing on a championship team in the past.
Adding Brown to a roster featuring Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey -- a fellow Klutch client who James, by multiple accounts, loves -- made the Sixers a legitimate candidate for James, who suddenly was a great fit at the power forward spot vacated by George's departure.
Without that trade, James looks at the Sixers roster and sees an overlap between himself and George and a team that isn't as close to contending and likely opts for a different landing spot.
LeBron James explains his decision to join the 76ers and how close he came to retiring Robby Kalland
Knicks winning the title shifted LeBron's thinking
The Knicks' role in James' free agency is two-fold. Rich Paul, James' longtime friend and agent, stated plainly on his podcast that, had the Knicks not won the title this summer, there wouldn't even have been a lengthy internal debate. James would have signed in New York for his final chapter to try to snap the Knicks' title drought. But with the Knicks topping the San Antonio Spurs to win their first title since 1973, James took them off the list.
"If the Knicks hadn't have won, there would be no board," Paul said as he detailed the 10 teams under consideration displayed on a whiteboard. "He'd be going to the Knicks."
James also saw the reaction in New York to snapping that championship drought, with fans pouring into the streets to celebrate and a parade lined with hundreds of thousands, and couldn't help but want that feeling again. The pinnacle of James' career was delivering the people of Cleveland a title and celebrating it in his hometown. Even if he returned to the Cavs and won a second, that scene and feeling couldn't be replicated. The closest he could come to that kind of elation and adoration would be in a place with a ravenous fan base that has been starved of a title.
The Knicks removed themselves from the top of that list in June and thrust the Sixers, with a 43-year championship drought, to the No. 1 spot. James knows that if there's one place he can add to his legacy in a meaningful way at this point, it's winning a title in Philadelphia. While that's a considerable hill to climb, even with the roster they've assembled, the reward outweighs the risk of falling flat. James is a made man in Cleveland and Miami. The Golden State Warriors and Spurs have no shortage of titles. The Denver Nuggets recently won one, and the other option would be the Minnesota Timberwolves, who don't boast quite the same history as the Sixers.
James may no longer be the No. 1 option on a team, but if his signing tips the scales toward a championship for the Sixers, he'll immediately become a Philly legend. After seeing the adoration the Knicks received after winning a title, it's not hard to believe that it impacted James' decision to chase a similar opportunity in Philadelphia.
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