Chris Mannix: LeBron James Chose the 76ers for One Simple Reason

Last week, in an appearance at Fanatics Fest, LeBron James dropped what turned out to be a clue about his future. Speaking to Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, James said of his free agency decision he was “trusting the process.” The crowd, immediately recognizing the phrase, which is closely connected to Philadelphia’s rebuild in the 2010s, began to murmur.

“That’s just a term,” pleaded Haliburton.

Turns out, it wasn’t.

LeBron James is a 76er, agreeing to a two-year, $8 million contract with Philadelphia on Friday, a source familiar with the situation confirms to Sports Illustrated, with a player option on the second year. No third go-round with Cleveland, no second tour of duty in Miami, no high-profile union with Stephen Curry in Golden State. It’s hot cheesesteaks and an icy winter for the King.

All that tea leaf reading? Worthless. James posting an offseason video from his estate in Akron? The news conference video the Heat accidentally uploaded? Draymond Green’s decision to opt out of his contract? Earlier in the week James’s agent, Rich Paul, vowed that no one knew anything about James’s thinking. He was right.

But … Philadelphia? A franchise he has no prior connection to? A city 3,000 miles from his family? A roster he can certainly help but one that isn’t exactly a hand-in-glove fit?

On social media, James attempted to explain his, er, decision. He thought he was done when the Lakers’ season ended, James wrote. He needed time away. “I’ve never been able to have no clue what to do and take real time to just think,” said James. When he did, he realized he still loved the competition. The sacrifice. The grind. He realized he still wanted to play.

Signing with the 76ers isn’t about money, James said. The $3.9 million he will make is effectively the veteran’s minimum. He will account for 2.35% of the 76ers’ salary cap, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks. It isn’t about family, James wrote. His oldest son, Bronny, is under contract with the Lakers. His youngest, Bryce, is playing college ball at Arizona. His daughter, Zhuri, and his wife, Savannah, are entrenched in Los Angeles.

In James’s words, this is about one thing: winning. “I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team,” James wrote, “and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time.”

Will he? Among league types, Miami was viewed as the best basketball fit, a pitch the Heat reportedly pushed hard the last few weeks. Cleveland has glaring holes on the wing and, hey, it’s Cleveland. Even Minnesota and Golden State could make cases that James could fill a significant need.

Philadelphia? On the surface the fit just feels … odd. “That’s a lot of people that are going to want their hands on the ball making plays,” says an Eastern Conference scout. Indeed, the 76ers are loaded with high-usage-rate players. In James, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia has four players who ranked in the top-50 in usage rate among starters, per NBA.com. VJ Edgecombe, a breakout rookie last season, will expect more touches, the scout noted.

Said another scout, “There is going to have to be a lot of sacrifice to make it work.”

Sacrifice. It’s a word James used in his statement. An NBA coach with ties to the Sixers called the James-Embiid dynamic the one to watch. “In Joel’s mind, this is still Joel’s team,” he says. “And when he plays, he’s getting 20 shots up and he is standing in the middle of the floor. That’s how this is going to work.”

James understands this. He has to. This isn’t the Lakers, where he was asked to accept a third option role midseason. He chose this. He’s signing on to play with Embiid, an ex-teammate with USA Basketball. He’s agreeing to play with Brown, who he has had, er, friction with in recent years. He’s choosing to link up with Maxey, a rising star who he shares an agent with.

And he’s doing it for one reason: a championship. James’s legacy is secure. He’s among the top two players in NBA history, depending on who you ask. He’s made 10 NBA Finals appearances, won four championships and will likely play NBA basketball—high-level NBA basketball—for a quarter century. Shaquille O’Neal called anything James does now “extra credit.”

Swell. But James clearly wants more. Maybe he wants to match Kobe Bryant’s five championships. Or pursue Michael Jordan’s six. Maybe he’s willing to see his numbers slashed, his minutes reduced, his role evolve into an elder statesman who can take a good team and help mold it into something great.

On the Game On podcast co-hosted by Paul, Bob Myers, the 76ers’ top basketball executive, spoke to an audience of one. “What I would say to LeBron is if it’s about winning, this is the team to win,” said Myers, adding, “Because you can win here in Philadelphia.”

James clearly agrees with him.

Now we will see if both are right.

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