LeBron James’ decision to go to the Philadelphia 76ers this season has lacked the fanfare of “The Decision” earlier in his career when he decided to take “his talents to South Beach” live on national TV while the world waited with bated breath.
It was even rumored that Philly was not really his first choice -- and after being snubbed by other teams, he had to take a huge pay cut to play at the City of Brotherly Love.
How that is taken into account when you later assess his career is subjective, but for now let’s take a quick look at his debut.
DEBUT. I would not say it was a memorable one, but it did spoil the New York Knicks’ championship ring night as they raised their first banner since 1973.
James, now in his record 24th NBA season at age 41, finished with 14 points (5-of-13 shooting, 0-of-3 from three), nine rebounds, seven assists, a steal and a block in 34 minutes.
Tyrese Maxey led the way with 28 points, Jaylen Brown added 19 in his Sixers debut after the summer trade from Boston and Joel Embiid contributed 13 points and 11 rebounds.
This was the first time one of James’ team debuts resulted in a win; his previous openings with the Cavaliers, Heat and Lakers ended in losses.
On the plus side, James spent the evening facilitating, directing teammates and making plays in transition. On the negative side, he was again slow to get back on defense and even had a courtside exchange with a fan who called him soft, responding that there was “nothing soft in the Midwest.”
James signed a two-year, roughly $8 million veteran-minimum deal in July and called it his “last decision,” reportedly prioritizing winning over money or family considerations, and chose Philadelphia over other suitors after the Sixers acquired Brown.
But that is where I think the potential problem lies. Yes, they are a talented team and probably have the best starting five in the league. But these players are currently on different trajectories in their careers.
Embiid has spoken about feeling healthier this offseason than in recent years, and so he is bent on personal redemption. Maxey has come into his own and has become the team’s leading producer, primarily because of Embiid’s injury woes.
Brown is also a newcomer to the team who has a chip on his shoulder because he wants to prove that he can win a championship without his former Celtic partner Jason Tatum.
Edgecomb is now in his second year and will want to spread his wings to show he has arrived. One good thing going is that apparently, Maxey and Edgecomb are star-struck about LeBron and will probably defer to him.
But you have to ask yourself if that is really a good thing. At age 41, and because he really can’t do the same things he did 10 years ago, will deferring to LeBron in clutch situations bode well for this team?
This team will definitely face significant hurdles in an Eastern Conference widely viewed as deeper and more competitive than in recent years. This will all boil down to chemistry and roles.
Because they are all talented, there has to be proper ball distribution and dynamics. But that takes time and time is a commodity James is running out of real fast.
LAST ROUND. It’s on one of my closest friends, Atty Alan F. Siu. who recently celebrated his birthday by launching Novus, a pioneering legal practice management platform. Congratulations and Cheers!