Why LeBron James Should Choose the Philadelphia 76ers in 2010

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I’m not the first to be writing about LeBron James’ much-ballyhooed free agency next year, and I certainly won’t be the last.

What I can say is that despite all the rumblings of LeBron joining his friend and record mogul Jay-Z in Brooklyn (eventually?) with the New Jersey Nets, or the rumors of LeBron bolting for Mike D’Antoni, the Knicks and MSG...his perfect 2010 team is only a few hours down the turnpike in Philadelphia.

That’s right.  Of all 30 teams in the NBA, LeBron James makes most sense in Philadelphia.  And before the 2009-2010 season kicks off, before LeBron defends his MVP title, before the Cavs try to “get a ring for the King,” I wanted to address why LeBron should be in a 76er uniform in October 2010.

Here’s why:

1) The Cavs have now had LeBron for six years.  When he came into the draft in 2003, he was arguably the most ballyhooed high school player in the history of the NBA—meaning expectations were through the roof. 

Somehow, if it’s possible, LeBron has managed to exceed those expectations.  His 45-point game against the Detroit Pistons in the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals—where he scores the Cavs’ last 24 points? 

What have the Cavs done in that time to support their franchise player?  Well, All-Star PF Carlos Boozer departed to the Utah Jazz after James’ first season, leaving the Cavs high-and-dry.  

In the next few seasons, LeBron’s core group consisted of Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Drew Gooden—not exactly All-Star material. Daniel “Boobie” Gibson gave the Cavs hope in ’07 during his breakout in the playoffs, but he’s been all but relegated to clean-up bench duty since. 

The Cavs, sensing James’ impending free agency, have grown increasingly desperate in the past few seasons, first trading for PG Mo Williams last offseason, now trading for C Shaquille O’Neal this offseason.  With all the questions that the Shaq trade brings, here’s my biggest—will he be around long enough to be an anchor of the franchise with LeBron?

Let’s face it.  The Cavaliers have had six years to build a franchise around a franchise player.  It’s not rocket science.  LeBron fills up the stat sheet everywhere—give him even remotely competent players, and you’re in the playoffs every year. 

At some point, the Cavaliers management seemed content with playoff berths and defeats each year, figuring it represented a huge step up for the franchise.  Then, as 2010 approached, they realized LeBron was hungry for rings, and management started panicking.

The Cavs are a tragic example of the newspaper business’ collapse.  The newspaper business failed to recognize the power of the Internet at the turn of the millennium, refusing to take advantage of the new technology until it was too late.  The Cavs failed to recognize that LeBron wanted a strong team around him that would allow him to compete for championships...until it was too late.

2) Now, let’s talk about Philly.  I realize that in this context (right before the 2009 season kicks off), it sounds ridiculous to say that LeBron should go to a team that got waxed out of the playoffs in the first round (by the same Magic team that took out the Cavs), while the Cavs made it to the Eastern Conference Finals. 

I agree, given the historic performance of last year’s Cavaliers and their 66-win season, it’s impossible to argue that right now, the Cavaliers are the best fit for LeBron.

But when looking at the core of a franchise, there seems to be a trend in the NBA much like in every good Nintendo boss fight—the rule of three. 

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