LeBron’s Move to Philadelphia Might Be His Most Controversial Yet

From June 30 to July 24, LeBron James had NBA fans on the edge of their seats, waiting to see which team he would sign with.

James Had Three Clear Destinations…

On the one hand, he could return home to Cleveland and finish out his legendary career with the team he started with way back in 2003. 

Another option: return to South Beach, where he had the most championship success.

The third team? The Warriors. Team up with his long-term rival Stephen Curry and good friend Draymond Green, who was willing to take a pay cut for James. 

As days turned into weeks, the speculation dragged on. Every day it seemed like a new one of these teams was the new favorite. Miami or Cleveland seemed like the best fits and obvious answers. 

… and He Chose the Team Nobody Expected

On July 24, reports sent shockwaves around the sports world. James ultimately decided to sign for two years with the Philadelphia 76ers. The move was not a complete surprise given the superb offseason moves Philadelphia already made, including trading for Jaylen Brown. The 76ers were always in the running, but few expected them to be in James’ top three.

Longtime teammate of James, Dwyane Wade understands James never does what fans think he will. 

“LeBron is never going to do what you think he’s going to do,” Wade said, “I don’t think any of us had Philly pinned as the No. 1 team”. 

Wade also added that it is “on brand” for James to join the 76ers. He credits the highly skilled roster being ready right now and being able to help LeBron “get to that five, six championships”. 

Joining Philadelphia Hurts James’ Legacy More Than It Helps

This move can be viewed as incredibly weak, coming from one of basketball’s greatest players.

James had the opportunity to re-sign with two of his former teams, Cleveland or Miami, where he had a lot of success and still has massive fan support. Instead, he chose to join a team he has zero connection to, which seems odd for a player of his caliber, likely in his final seasons.

Philadelphia had a spectacular offseason before signing James. They traded Paul George for Jaylen Brown, and signed plenty of solid depth pieces like Anfernee Simons, Dean Wade, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. They also drafted Labaron Philon Jr. from Alabama. 

It makes sense for James to choose such a promising young squad because of the star-studded lineup they have built. But that is why it is a weak move. The move draws parallels to Kevin Durant joining the Warriors in 2016 — leaving for the most stacked roster available. While winning is the goal for most NBA players, it seems cheap the way James is going about it. 

Heat legend Chris Bosh weighed in on the news as well.

“I’m surprised, but I’m not surprised. [Miami] was just my best pick,” Bosh said. “I was like, hey, if I’m doing something, I’m gonna go to Miami, if it was me.”

Imagine what it would have meant for James’ legacy to win one last time in Cleveland or Miami. He could have been playing the end of his career in a place where he had prior success, with a chance to do something special. But that was not what James decided. 

The Case For and Against James’ Decision

James had two fairytale endings in sight, joining two of his former teams. Neither the Cavaliers nor the Heat are bad teams, and both will likely be playoff teams come April.

James’ agent and good friend Rich Paul backed up his decision to sign with the 76ers and pushed back on the ring-chasing narrative. 

“It’s confusing; it’s like what are you supposed to chase? Aluminum cans?” Paul said. “I don’t think he chases anything; I just think you want to put yourself in the best position to have a competitive chance of winning”. 

Paul makes a fair point — everyone wants to win. But James had the opportunity to compete with teams that made much more sense.

James Left Two Fairytale Endings on the Table

The goal should always be to win an NBA championship. But there is a right and a wrong way to do it, and LeBron James is going about it the wrong way.

At the end of the day, LeBron James is LeBron James. It would take something catastrophic to fully tarnish his legacy, but this move is disappointing given the options he left on the table.