LeBron James is A 76er. Can He Win His Fifth in Philly?

“Trust the process.”

LeBron James raised some eyebrows when he uttered those words at his Fanatics Fest appearance last week, but at the time it merely seemed like a playful acknowledgement of the Philadelphia 76ers’ involvement in his sweepstakes. We had heard through various reports that Rich Paul favored Philadelphia for LeBron, but the general consensus over the last few weeks has been that the King would finish his career somewhere familiar, whether that be Cleveland or Miami. 

As it turns out, LeBron really was laying out bread crumbs and leading us toward where his nearly month-long free agency courtship would conclude. At around 11:30 a.m. on the dot (ET), ESPN’s Shams Charania reported via Paul that LeBron would be signing a two-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers for the veteran minimum of $4 million. He’ll join a lineup in which a pass-first, scoring proficient power forward was the one glaring missing piece, accompanying a cast of elite characters that include Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and the emerging VJ Edgecombe. 

Choosing Philly

For the first time in LeBron’s career as he enters an NBA-record 24th season, he’s walking into a situation where he won’t be the number one priority on the floor or off of it. In an offseason where he could have prioritized a storybook ending, his decision to move across the country (most likely without his family) to pursue a fifth championship ring shows that legacy is still an overriding factor. In his own statement, LeBron told us that his love of the game is what brought him back and that he wasn’t sure he would find that love again this offseason. But it’s clear he didn’t want his unceremonious exit in Los Angeles to be the end of his story on the court, and choosing Philadelphia shows that he didn’t just want a hapless farewell tour either. 

What choosing Philadelphia shows is that LeBron still fully believes he can contribute to championship basketball, even if he has to take somewhat of a backseat to do it. It’s almost certainly easier to do that in Philadelphia than it would be in Los Angeles, not only because of the disintegration of his relationship with the Lakers but also because of his noted affinity for Maxey. We know LeBron and Jaylen Brown haven’t had the smoothest relationship after Brown was caught on camera at Summer League talking slick about Bronny to Angel Reese, but it was made clear throughout the free agency process that whatever issues between them had been patched. 

Can LeBron Get No. 5?

Now that the decision is made, the question shifts to whether or not he realistically improves the 76ers chances to win an NBA title. The acquisition of Brown earlier this month certainly made them a contender in the East, but it still felt like a leap to suggest they could eclipse New York or even a rising team like the Detroit Pistons in a seven-game series. Much less the Oklahoma City Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs. But adding James not only means adding the most experienced basketball player in history to this youthful roster filled with so much potential, it means you also add his uncanny playmaking ability and his ability to still take over a game scoring-wise at 41 years of age. In a situation like Philly’s where he’ll rarely be asked to drive the ship, it’s almost scary to think of what LeBron can offer.

The addition of LeBron and Brown makes the 76ers a more formidable opponent against the New York Knicks, especially in a seven-game postseason series. Will it be enough to overcome the clear talent and the even more important chemistry gap that was apparent in their second-round meeting this spring? I’m not entirely convinced, but I’m also not completely willing to rule out the idea. Still, if they manage to get past the Knicks, a healthy Thunder team poses a very rough hypothetical matchup, as do the Spurs if Victor Wembanyama can overcome his dud of an NBA Finals. At the very least, it puts them ahead of Cleveland and Detroit as prospective threats in the East at this point. 

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