Joe Lacob cannot explain exactly why LeBron James chose the Philadelphia 76ers over the Golden State Warriors. He has a pretty good idea who deserves some congratulations.
Lacob credited former Warriors general manager Bob Myers after James bypassed the possibility of playing with Stephen Curry and signed a two-year, $8 million contract with Philadelphia.
“Congratulations to Bob Myers, I guess, who I think is great at his job,” Lacob said Wednesday on Tim Kawakami’s The TK Show. “Surprisingly, perhaps to some, maybe convinced him to go there.”
Lacob was careful not to present Myers as the deciding factor. He acknowledged that he did not know why James chose Philadelphia. But his comments supplied an outside view of a recruitment Myers helped conduct in public and behind the scenes.
The Warriors wanted James. The 76ers got him.
Bob Myers Helped Make 76ers’ LeBron Pitch
Getty Former Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers (left) and owner Joe Lacob watch their team play the Denver Nuggets at Chase Center on October 06, 2021 in San Francisco, California.
Myers, now president of sports for Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, spent 12 years running Golden State’s basketball operation. He constructed four championship teams and helped recruit Kevin Durant in 2016.
His role with HBSE extends across its sports portfolio, while Mike Gansey runs the 76ers’ daily basketball operation as president of basketball operations.
Still, Myers became a prominent voice in Philadelphia’s pursuit of James.
Appearing alongside James’ agent, Rich Paul, on the Game Over podcast in July, Myers argued that the Sixers presented James with his best opportunity to win a fifth championship.
“If it’s about winning, let’s talk about this team,” Myers said then, “because you can win here in Philadelphia.”
The pitch looked considerably stronger after the Sixers acquired Jaylen Brown from Boston. Philadelphia could offer James a starting group featuring Brown, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe without asking him to carry the same workload he handled during much of his Lakers tenure.
James, 41, called Philadelphia his “last decision” and said he was not motivated by money. His contract includes a second-year player option.
Lacob Admits Warriors Wanted LeBron James
Getty LeBron James and Stephen Curry of Team United States celebrate after their team’s win against Team Serbia during a Men’s basketball semifinals match between Team United States and Team Serbia on day thirteen of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on August 08, 2024 in Paris, France.
Lacob confirmed that Golden State was part of the conversation during James’ free agency, though he declined to discuss private details involving a player under contract elsewhere.
“If he would have chosen to come to us, that would have been great,” Lacob said. “I think it would have been very entertaining for the world at large, the world of basketball.”
Lacob pointed to James and Curry’s chemistry during the Paris Olympics, when their late-game brilliance helped the United States win gold. The possibility of pairing them for a full NBA season became one of free agency’s most compelling scenarios.
It never became Golden State’s assumption.
“We were never assuming that it was going to be the case,” Lacob said. “We look at all the scenarios.”
Philadelphia ultimately offered the deeper roster and a clearer path through the Eastern Conference. Myers provided the pitch, Brown helped supply the proof and James supplied the answer.
Lacob’s congratulations carried a hint of disappointment. It also sounded like respect from an owner who had watched Myers close this kind of recruitment before.
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