In choosing his last challenge as an NBA player, LeBron James went for a big one: Trying to get Philadelphia back to the NBA Finals for the first time in 25 years, and trying to win their first title in 43 years.
The decision shook the league, and with that there is a fair amount of follow-up news. Here is some of that tied to LeBron, for more on what the teams that struck out on him are doing — Cleveland, Miami, Golden State and Minnesota — follow this link.
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LeBron made decision at 1 a.m.
One of the biggest winners of this entire LeBron James saga was Rich Paul’s “Game Over” podcast with Max Kellerman. Paul became the best source of information on LeBron’s decision process, and while that was certainly spin, it was about the only thing of real substance out there.
On the latest episode of the podcast, Paul said LeBron made his decision around 1 a.m. and announced it the next day (hat tip Philadelphia Inquirer). He added that Cleveland, Miami and Golden State also made very strong pitches, but LeBron decided to go to Philly.
What led to LeBron’s decision?
In his series of posts on X explaining his decision, LeBron said that he had to decide if he still truly loved the game enough to come back for one more season. Rich Paul echoed that on his podcast.
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“Nobody at this level is this accomplished, this successful at life, still wanting to play the game. I don’t know what else you can say about it besides someone being very obsessed with the game of basketball.”
It was more than just that, according to David Aldridge of The Athletic, LeBron felt he still had more to accomplish.
James did indeed contemplate retirement after the Lakers were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round. But he felt “incomplete,” the source said, in assessing the season.
On his podcast, Rich Paul added that the Lakers beating the Rockets in the first round in a series where LeBron was the best player on the court at age 41 also played a role in his return.
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“That series, in my opinion, [convinced him to return]. I think if they somehow get swept or lose 4-1 in that series, it could be different. I think that gave us another ride.”
What LeBron chose was a potential path back to the Finals in Philadelphia, but also a tough road — there are questions about fitting a group of ball-dominant players (Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid and LeBron) together, questions about defense, and questions about how he feels playing for a passionate and demanding fan base in Philly. Except, he may not have to live in Philadelphia, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
The fact that James could live in New York City and commute to Camden for practices and Philadelphia for games, as ESPN’s Shams Charania reported is a possibility, only added to the appeal.
That’s the kind of thing 76ers fans are going to bring up if — really, when — LeBron and this team struggle for a stretch of games.
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What is LeBron doing now?
Working out to get ready for next season, of course. And it’s not really an offseason workout unless there is evidence on social media.
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