In what was a shocking decision, LeBron James decided to sign a two-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. He picked them over Cleveland, Miami, Golden State, and Minnesota. Picking the Sixers was a clear indication of his desire to win a title.
Based on the rosters of all of those teams, Philly has the best chance to win a championship. New GM Mike Gansey was charged with making the pitch to James and trying to sign him. He prevailed after also being able to swing a trade for Jaylen Brown.
Gansey revealed an ironic detail about how he found out that James was going to sign with the 76ers.
Mike Gansey Learned LeBron James Picked the 76ers While He Was in Cleveland
According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Gansey learned James picked the Sixers while he was in his home in Cleveland. He then had neighbors angrily yelling at him that they stole James away from the Cavaliers.
“I walked around the block probably for two hours,” Gansey said. “Some of my neighbors were coming out looking at me like, ‘What the hell? You took him!’ Being in Cleveland, obviously, a little bittersweet, I guess.”
It’s extremely ironic that the GM of the 76ers learned that James was going to pick Philly while he was walking around a Cleveland neighborhood. James spent two different stints of his career playing for the Cavaliers, and fans were hoping he was going to pick a third.
Instead, the Sixers are now one of the favorites to win the Eastern Conference with James in the starting lineup. James is still an incredibly effective player at the age of 41. He still shot it over 51 percent from the field a year ago, even if his 3-point shooting dropped off a bit.
Philadelphia Has an Opportunity They Haven’t Had in Decades
The 76ers might have the best chance to win a championship in many decades. The last time that the franchise won a title was back in 1983. That was 43 years ago, so James has a chance to help a team end a massive title drought. It’s similar to what he did for the Cavaliers in 2016.
Of course, James is not the only new player on the roster to help them in that endeavor. Adding Brown to the roster gives them a two-way wing that they desperately need in order to be a true contender. His ability to stay healthy and play a ton of games is valuable, too.
Joel Embiid will be lucky to play half the season. James has been dealing with injuries that crop up over the last few years, as well. Having someone like Brown, whom they can rely on to be in the lineup almost every day, is valuable to a team that has two major injury question marks.
Putting all of the pieces together in a much tougher Eastern Conference is not an easy thing to do. While the Sixers have their best chance to win a title in over 40 years, it will be a tough road to do so.
76ers GM Reveals Ironic Detail About LeBron James Picking Philly Over Cleveland