SO LeBron James has finally made his choice, taking his talents to Philadelphia, where even Santa Claus isn't safe from flying snowballs.
Me thinks this is one of the oddest decisions of LeBron’s long and winding career. If he truly wanted a storybook ending, why not return to Cleveland, the city that embraced him despite The Decision and where he delivered the Cavaliers' lone NBA championship? Or why not go back to Miami, where he won two titles and played arguably the best basketball of his career?
Instead, he heads to the City of Brotherly Love, where the fans are as demanding as any in American sports. Rocky Balboa may be fictional, but around those parts he's practically royalty. It'll be interesting to see whether LeBron can become as beloved as the Italian Stallion — or if he'll end up getting the Ben Simmons treatment should things go south.
Adding another wrinkle, reports say LeBron won't even make Philadelphia his full-time home. Instead, he will be commuting from Gotham, aka New York City.
For someone trying to win over one of the NBA's most passionate fan bases, that's hardly the ideal first impression. Then again, maybe even LeBron knows it's easier to sleep in the city that never sleeps than in one where the fans never let you.
The NBA has always revolved around stars, but this move raises more questions than answers.
Joel Embiid remains the franchise cornerstone — when healthy, anyway. Tyrese Maxey has blossomed into one of the league's brightest young guards and deserves the ball in his hands. Jaylen Brown reportedly wanted a fresh start after Boston nearly dealt him in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes. Add rookie VJ Edgecombe, who flashed tremendous potential last season, and suddenly there are more scorers in the team than basketballs.
LeBron, however, has always been at his best orchestrating the offense.
Even at 41, he's still one of the smartest players ever to play hoops. But his game still requires the ball, and that's exactly where Maxey thrives, too.
Can everyone sacrifice enough to make it work? That's the million-dollar question.
Philadelphia probably gives LeBron one last legitimate shot at a fifth NBA championship. Whether that gamble pays off depends less on his greatness than on whether everyone else is willing to adjust their games around him.
As for Miami, missing out on LeBron may actually prove to be a blessing in disguise. Pat Riley doesn't need another aging superstar dominating the offense. What the Heat need are complementary pieces.
DeMar DeRozan remains a mid-range maestro, but Miami's biggest weakness is perimeter shooting. Russell Westbrook? Please, no. His inconsistent jumper and ball-dominant style don't seem like a Heat Culture fit.
Victor Oladipo, however, intrigues me. If he's truly healthy after battling lower-body injuries, giving him 10 to 15 minutes a night on a prove-it deal seems like a worthwhile gamble. Klay Thompson and Bradley Beal carry bigger names, but they're also much further removed from their prime years.
The Heat still have roster spots to fill, and with Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell, Nikola Jovic and Ryan Conwell in the fold, there's enough space for Riley and Erik Spoelstra to keep building.
I digress.
The Eastern Conference just became a lot more interesting. Whether Philadelphia becomes a champion or simply another collection of stars remains to be seen.
As for me, I'll be watching with the same curiosity as everyone else. But there's one difference.
At least I get to root against LeBron again.
That wasn't easy while he wore the purple and gold. The Lake Show was my team throughout the 1980s, the 1990s and the 2000s. Then LeCoach Killer came to Hollywood, and cheering for the Lakers suddenly felt like cheering for the very player I had spent years rooting against — well, when he wasn’t playing for the Heat, that is.
Now he's in Philadelphia, and normal service has resumed.
Welcome back to the adversary's side, LeNot Better Than Jordan.
