NBA schedule-makers who have been waiting on one major piece of information can finally get to work. LeBron James has made his decision, and it figures to shape the entire league’s calendar.
Expect Philadelphia to show up on opening night against New York. Expect the 76ers on Christmas Day. Expect a heavy dose of Philadelphia on national television throughout the season.
The 76ers landed what may be the greatest bargain in the history of professional sports on Friday, when James — the NBA’s all-time leading scorer — revealed he would be wrapping up his legendary career in Philadelphia. The numbers are almost hard to believe: James will earn roughly $3.9 million, barely more than the approximately $3.6 million the team will pay rookie Labaron Philon this coming season. It makes no sense, and yet it makes complete sense.
James has always had a clear vision of what he wants. This move represents one final opportunity to accomplish something no player has ever done — win an NBA championship with four different teams. That singular goal may be the only remaining motivation capable of driving him.
Every record once within his grasp is now his. His all-time scoring mark is likely untouchable. His record for career longevity — spanning 24 or 25 seasons — is equally out of reach for anyone else. He won’t surpass Bill Russell’s championship total, but a fifth title would tie him with Kobe Bryant. Winning four titles with four different franchises, however, would be territory no one else has ever explored.
“I still want to sacrifice,” James wrote Friday in announcing his choice to join Philadelphia. “I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship.”
Cleveland and Miami were both in the running, and Golden State appeared to be a possibility as well. But the real choice seemed to come down to returning to the Cavaliers, heading back to the Heat, or beginning a brand new chapter with the 76ers.
Philadelphia had already made headlines this summer by acquiring Jaylen Brown in a trade with the Boston Celtics. The team features an elite backcourt player in Tyrese Maxey and a nearly unstoppable force in Joel Embiid when he’s healthy. Add in rising star VJ Edgecombe and head coach Nick Nurse — who turned 59 on Friday and already has a championship ring from his time in Toronto — and the 76ers were already shaping up as a legitimate contender before James entered the picture.
With James now in the fold, anything short of contending for a title would be considered a failure. And for those who want to call this ring-chasing, it’s worth noting that Philadelphia hasn’t won a championship since 1983.
Still, the road ahead won’t be easy. The Eastern Conference is stacked with talent.
The NBA champion Knicks play just 100 miles from Philadelphia, and that rivalry is about to reach a new level of intensity. If the 76ers travel to New York on opening night — when the Knicks receive their first championship rings in 53 years — the atmosphere at Madison Square Garden could make the already sky-high Finals ticket prices look like a bargain.
Beyond New York, the East is full of threats. Detroit won 60 games last season. Toronto may be bringing Kawhi Leonard back into the fold. Cleveland remains a factor. Miami added Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the Heat — who had been waiting to see where James landed — will now look to fill out their roster with shooting and backcourt depth. And despite trading Brown, Boston remains a team nobody should overlook.
“This is my last decision,” James wrote. “I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family. What am I really playing for at this point?”
There will be an adjustment period. When James joined Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade in Miami, that team started 9-8. Philadelphia is in many ways rebuilding its identity, and simply inserting Brown and James into spots previously held by Paul George and Kelly Oubre Jr. is not as straightforward as it sounds. Brown, James, Embiid, and Maxey will need time to develop chemistry. There will be rough stretches. As they say in Philadelphia: trust the process.
But if they get it right, the results could be extraordinary. James can still control a game the way a quarterback manages a football field, distributing the ball and filling up a stat sheet like few others. He and Embiid already have Olympic gold in common. Maxey is just now hitting his stride. And Brown will carry a massive chip on his shoulder, eager to silence the critics who questioned the trade out of Boston. If this works, it will be something to behold. If it falls apart, it will be an equally spectacular collapse. There is no middle ground.
The NBA’s biggest offseason question has been answered. Where would LeBron go? With all due respect to a famous Philadelphia nickname from basketball history, Philly turned out to be The Answer.
