LeBron James is a Philadelphia 76er. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it because they’re going to be on television at least once a week for the entire season. That would have been true wherever he signed, so that’s why it’s a good thing he chose Philadelphia, which immediately became the best possible choice when the 76ers acquired Jaylen Brown.
James teaming up with Brown, Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe and Joel Embiid is going to be fun. If everyone is healthy, that’s probably the best starting lineup he has ever been a part of. In fact, it’s the exact kind of lineup that is going to get people to say some really crazy things like this might be the best starting lineup in NBA history.
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Obviously, I’m not saying that. That’s a bold statement and a hot take and we don’t deal in those here. But if someone were to say that, is it really so outlandish?
76ers’ loaded lineup
Jan 28, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) drives to the basket defended by Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown (7) during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images
There’s Maxey, who made third-team All-NBA last season and finished in the top 10 in Clutch Player of the Year voting for the second consecutive season. He averaged 28.3 points, 6.6 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 0.8 blocks a game last year. All were career highs. He’s a six-year veteran and only 25 years old.
His running mate in the backcourt is Edgecombe, who will only be 21 this season. He averaged 16 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.4 steals a game as a rookie. He only finished third in Rookie of the Year voting behind Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, both of whom had the most impressive rookie campaigns in recent memory.
And then there’s Brown. Champion. 2024 NBA Finals MVP. All-Star. All-NBA second team. Sixth in MVP voting last year as he put up career highs in points (28.7), rebounds (6.9) and assists (5.1) and helped the Celtics to the second-best record in the Eastern Conference.
Finally, you’ve got Embiid at center. He’s the biggest player and biggest problem. He’s a monstrous former MVP who has twice led the NBA in scoring. The starting center on the gold medal-winning 2024 US Men’s national basketball team in Paris. But he’s always hurt. You’d need a healthy Embiid.
Yeah, it’s a pretty interesting starting lineup, but let’s not get carried away.
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What really matters is that LeBron chose the most interesting team. The storylines that existed in Philadelphia before the league’s all-time leading scorer decided to sign there were plentiful. How good can Maxey and Edgecombe become? Will Embiid stay healthy enough to earn the $187 million the 76ers owe him over the next three seasons? What is a motivated Brown capable of after the Celtics unceremoniously dumped him?
Before LeBron signed with the Sixers they already had the sixth-best odds to win the title. They were already considered a contender. Embiid’s health was the same question mark before they added James and now they’ve got James.
Any team’s odds would have soared after signing LeBron. He’s still a contributor as he enters his 24th season. He’s still pretty healthy. He played 60 games last year, 70 the year before and 71 during the 2023-24 season. In those 60 games last season he played 33.2 minutes a game, the same as reigning two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. And then in the playoffs, LeBron played 38.4 minutes a game and averaged 23.2 points per game.
Between Brown, Embiid, Maxey and James, the 76ers have four of the 16 players with the highest scoring averages from last year’s playoffs.
Too bad for the Warriors, Heat and Cavs
The most important part of all this is that he really did choose the team that could get him to one last NBA Finals — or two.
It would have been cool to see LeBron James and Stephen Curry play together, but wouldn’t it have felt a little weird? We got them in the Olympics. That should be enough for the premier rivals of the 2010s. The Warriors aren’t built to contend by adding another old guy. LeBron needs young guys who play big minutes regularly to get the team through the regular season and then be there in the playoffs.
As for the Heat, the LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo front line would have been formidable, but that feels like a team that is a guard or three short of contending or even playing fun basketball. Even if a former Heat teammate told ESPN, “He can go to the Finals with Miami,” he most definitely would not have.
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And finally, we have the Cleveland Cavaliers. The full-circle end to a career would have been quaint. It also would not have resulted in a run at a title. The ship has sailed for James Harden, who averaged 16 points and shot 17.9% from three in a Knicks sweep back in May.
James already brought a title home to Cleveland. He kept his promise.
This time he didn’t choose loyalty or business interests or golf. He picked the team with the glaring LeBron James-sized hole in the lineup. A lineup full of willing passers and playoff proven scorers. If you tune into a 76ers game this season they are going to give you your money’s worth. It’s going to be fun to watch and it could go deep into the playoffs, even if they aren’t trotting out the best lineup ever.
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