Will James Joining the 76ers Give Them An Advantage?
Photo Credit from 76ers X Profile
"How did LeBron James decide on the 76ers?
That wasn't the only tidbit to come out about James' free agency on Wednesday. In a wide-ranging piece at ESPN, it was revealed that James eventually settled on five finalists for his services. Those five teams were the 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Two other teams that pursued James were the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers, the latter of which reportedly offered James over $20 million to stay in Los Angeles.
Ultimately, the 76ers won out, with Paul sending out a group message to the team's most important personalities that read: "Congrats. Sixers it is," per ESPN.
What really sold James on the 76ers was the team's pursuit of a title, which is something that's been consistently reported since James made his decision. It helps that 76ers center Joel Embiid told both James and the team that he's healthy this offseason. Embiid has missed significant patches of time during his career due to injuries. If he's fully healthy and back to form, the 76ers will be tough to stop.
But they won't necessarily be the favorites to win it all, at least coming into the season. Despite James choosing the franchise due to its proximity to another title, work needs to be done if the 76ers are truly out to prove they should be the favorite.
As of late July, even James' agent isn't convinced that's the case … yet."
Written by: Chris Cwik
