Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
LeBron to Sixers shouldn’t only be a laughing matter
PHILADELPHIA » LeBron James, like NBA championships, comes around once every 35 years or so for teams like the Sixers.
The lesson shouldn’t be lost on management. When Moses Malone was available way back in the day, then owner Harold Katz and the Sixers understood how important it was adding him to a starstudded cast for the 1982-83 season. The Julius Erving-powered Sixers reached the playoff finals often enough. Three times in six years. It wasn’t a coincidence that Doc, Bobby Jones, Andrew Toney and Maurice Cheeks were unable to win a title until Malone came on board.
Current owner Josh Harris might want to research that team. Long-suffering Sixers fans packing Wells Fargo Center and buying the jerseys of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons deserve something to feel good about besides closing in on their first playoff berth in six years. They’ve been defending the process since, what, Sam Hinkie’s debut in 2013?
Obviously, there’s a month, a postseason and a draft to go before the Sixers can throw money at James.
Still, those attentiongrabbing complete-the-process billboards strategically placed in the Cleveland area by a Chester-based home remodeling outfit have stoked not just a LeBron James-to-Philly feeding frenzy, but energy throughout Sixers Nation. And it will be shocking if the Eagles don’t at least get an audience with James assuming he doesn’t re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
James’ friendship with Simmons is well-documented. Their styles are similar, except for the shooting stroke, and LBJ might even be able to fix that for Simmons should they unite in South Philly.
While it’s early to lock in on finalists, it’s no secret that financially and competitively, James would seem to fit best with a handful of teams should he decide it’s time to leave Cleveland. The Sixers, Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets all would fit the mold, the Rockets with James Harden and Chris Paul, the most readymade to contend for a title.
What’s interesting is that James recently had a chance to blow off all interest in the Sixers when asked, before playing them Thursday, how he felt about the billboard messaging in Cleveland. He loved it.
“It is actually very flattering that I’m sitting here at 33 and in my 15th year and teams or guys — I don’t want to say teams because that becomes tampering — but people in their respective city want me to play for them,” James said. “That’s cool, I think.”
After the game, which was a 108-97 Sixers victory over the Cavaliers, Embiid dropped a cryptic tweet into his certified Twitter account.
“Trust The Process??? Always a great time playing against one of the best to ever play the game #summer2018goals.”
That was followed an hour later by a tweet reading “It’s not what y’all think lol.”
Clearly the players are enjoying the moment.
But back to James. He recently dismissed a report that he and his sons visited Malvern Prep. There was enough wiggle room in the denial for the school, per a report, to neither confirm nor deny a visit.
Adding to James and the Philly mystique is that sports marketing executive Sonny Vaccaro, who signed Michael Jordan to his first sneaker deal with NIKE and is a pal of James dating to the superstar’s sophomore year of high school, suggested the Sixers would be the best fit if the Cavaliers didn’t win the NBA championship this season. Vaccaro said so on WCHE 1520-AM radio in West Chester.
The Sixers turned into a 65-win team the year they brought in Malone. More importantly, they went 12-1 with a sweep of the Lakers to win what remains their last NBA title.
This Sixers team isn’t nearly as good in terms of personnel and coaching. But everything is relative.
To win a title, it takes a talented cast with a couple of superstars who play super. James could be the greatest player of his generation. James and Embiid? Potentially lethal. That duo plus Simmons and his allaround game, and Dario Saric, would make the Sixers Eastern Conference favorites. Add a proven veteran or two sure to be attracted by such a nucleus and you’ve got a group that could take on the Golden State Warriors, at the least, in a year or two.
Additionally, the Sixers still have a shot at securing the first overall pick in the draft (from the Lakers). That could mean trading the pick for an ascending talent or selecting another big man like Deandre Ayton (Arizona) or 6-8 Euroleague guard Luka Doncic (Real Madrid). Or, dare they go Duke again, only with 18-year-old pivot Marvin Bagley III?
With the draft capital, the Sixers have options.
With James, they have a shot at a title. It happens around here every 35 years or so.
Contact Bob Grotz bgrotz@21st-centurymedia. com; follow him on Twitter @bobgrotz.