10
Loading video...
By Rowan Fisher-Shotton
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
LeBron James had plenty of options.
He could have gone home to Cleveland, the same franchise that drafted him and that he led to its first NBA championship back in 2016. He could have teamed up with Steph Curry and Draymond Green in Golden State. He could have chased another ring with Erik Spoelstra and Pat Riley down in Miami with the new-look Heat.
Instead, he chose the Philadelphia 76ers.
Read More on NBA
James is reportedly signing a two-year, $8 million contract with a player option, with Klutch Sports Group CEO Rich Paul confirming the deal to ESPN. That means he accepted a deal worth close to the veteran minimum after earning more than $52 million with the Lakers last season.
James made it clear from the beginning this was never about money. But Paul also emphasized throughout the process that it wasn't necessarily just about competing for another championship either. It was supposedly about "fun and happiness." And I guess that's in Philly?
The Sixers now have one of the best starting fives in the league, hands down, with All-NBA guard Tyrese Maxey, former MVP Joel Embiid, former Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, rising star VJ Edgecombe, and James.
But here's the problem: with that starting lineup, if they don't win, this could hurt James' legacy more than help.
Philly sports fans are ruthless, and anything less than a championship won't be good enough. Just over a year removed from winning the Eagles a Super Bowl, Jalen Hurts is already facing questions about whether he's still the guy.
The Sixers have the pieces to win a title; now they have to go do it. That's the definition of pressure in a highly pressurized sports town — not the direction I thought he was going to go.
More news: LeBron James Reportedly ‘Irritated’ by Adam Silver Over Free Agency Pressure
...
More news: NBA Insider Raises Red Flag on Karl-Anthony Towns’ Future in New York
The 76ers haven't won an NBA title since 1983. This fanbase doesn't do patience, and it doesn't believe in moral victories.
If this team wins it all, it's a fitting final chapter for the greatest player of all time. If it doesn't, though, his time in Philly could be remembered for all the wrong reasons.
Cleveland offered the fairy tale. Golden State offered comfort. He chose neither — and landed in the one place where a ring is the only acceptable outcome.
More news: The Real Reason Behind LeBron James’ Free Agency Delay May Involve Kyrie Irving
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines