Rich Paul is in hot water for suggesting that late Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant would have been thrilled to see LeBron James join the Philadelphia 76ers, his hometown franchise.
After James signed a two-year, $8M contract to join the Sixers, Paul invoked Bryant’s name while addressing the move on his “Game Over” podcast.
“This is something Kobe would be extremely… I don’t know if proud’s the right word, but like ‘hell yeah,’” Paul said on Monday.
“You know, because — it’s a competitive move, it’s a challenge. It shows that this guy [LeBron James] really [wants to compete],” Paul added.
Lakers Fans Rip Rich Paul
According to The Spun, Lakers fans on social media have been attacking Paul for assuming what Bryant would have said, more than six years after his passing.
“Lets not put words into dead peoples mouths,” one fan wrote.
“Bro what has this story come to, enough already. Nobody knows what Kobe would’ve thought so let’s stop it with that,” another fan added.
“Respect to Kobe’s legacy, but not everything has to be made about him. He never played for the 76ers,” a Lakers fan wrote.
“Don’t talk about Kobe like that,” one shared.
Why LeBron James Joined Sixers
In his “Last Decision” statement, James made it clear that he signed with the Sixers to chase another championship, and that his decision wasn’t driven by family or money.
“I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship,” he wrote, before expressing excitement about joining forces with fellow All-Stars Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown Joel Embiid on a loaded Sixers roster.
“I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time.”
Per multiple insiders, James also chose Philadelphia due to its proximity to New York City, where he intends to stay during the course of the 82-game regular season. ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne on Monday provided more context behind James’ decision.
James reportedly felt that the Sixers had a higher collection of high-IQ players than his other leading suitors, the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers.
“James ultimately decided that the Sixers had the kind of high IQ basketball players and high-end talent he was looking for,” Shelburne reported.
“His comfort level with [Bob] Myers and new general manager Mike Gansey, whom he’d known from their days as high schoolers in Ohio — Gansey was the runner-up to James for Ohio’s Mr. Basketball in 2001 — and shared time together in Cleveland, helped the cause. As did his agent Rich Paul’s strong working relationship with Philadelphia owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer.”
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