The prospect of living in New York City may have played a role in LeBron James’ decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers.
“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,” ESPN’s Dave McMenamin wrote after James agreed to a two-year, $8M deal to play out the final two years of his illustrious career.
McMenamin highlighted Rich Paul’s comment from earlier this month that signing with the Knicks would have been “an easy choice” for James—had they not won the championship. Consequently, he may have been angling to live in New York if he planned to leave the Western Conference anyway.
LeBron James Loves New York
“Going to the Sixers could allow him to still live in NYC and, if he accomplishes his goal, win a title for a fanbase that has waited decades to see its team hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy,” McMenamin added in a report that expands on James’ decision to pick the Sixers over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors.
Earlier this year, James showed his appreciation for New York and the Knicks fanbase after his Lakers took a 112-100 loss at Madison Square Garden.
“I’ve always loved these fans here, love New York,” he said on Feb. 2 after his Los Angeles Lakers suffered a 112-100 loss at Madison Square Garden.
“Always respect, they got a great knowledge of the game of basketball and sports in general. They know what sports is all about. They know when they see something pretty cool. I was giving my respect back.”
Knicks Players React to LeBron James Joining 76ers
The Knicks and Sixers will play at least four times in the regular season and likely again in the playoffs. James could play against the Knicks in a playoff series for the first time since 2012 next year, with bettors pegging the Knicks and the Sixers to be the last two teams standing in the East. The Atlantic Division rivals have the exact (+900) to win the NBA championship, according to DraftKings, only trailing the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.
In anticipation of an inevitable high-pressure showdown, Knicks’ NBA champion Jordan Clarkson seemingly drew the battle lines when he posted an emoji of a military helmet after James announced his decision to join the Sixers.
Elsewhere, new Knick Andre Drummond had a subdued and almost fearful reaction to the news of James linking up with three other All-NBA players — Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and Jaylen Brown — and a sophmore, V.J. Edgecombe, with a high ceiling.
“Oh 😧” he wrote on X after James made his announcement.
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