Why LeBron James Should Choose the Philadelphia 76ers in 2010

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. 

The great teams in the current NBA have a core group of three strong players as the cornerstone of the franchise.  The Spurs: Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobuli, Tony Parker, (Richard Jefferson?).  The Celtics: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen.  The Magic: Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, Vince Carter, (Jameer Nelson?).  The Nuggets: Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, J.R. Smith. 

The Cavs have LeBron (24 years old), Mo Williams (26 years old), and Shaq (37 years old).  At most, Shaq will have two or three more productive seasons (and that’s assuming all that training on Shaq vs. paid off as conditioning).

Let’s turn to the Sixers.  They have an emerging All-Star shooting guard in Andre Iguodala (25 years old), a great young SF in Thaddeus Young (21 years old), and a former All-Star PF looking to regain his former form (Elton Brand, 30 years old). 

If the Sixers could salvage a center from a team this year (calling a Tyson Chandler/Emeka Okafor-esque swap with Samuel Dalembert, anyone?), they would be relatively set at every position with young guys with plenty of talent. 

Add LeBron to that mix?  That’s actually scary.  If LeBron can turn a core of Drew Gooden and Zydrunas Ilgauskas into playoff contenders, there’s no reason the Sixers wouldn’t instantly jump to being one of the top four teams in the Eastern Conference. 

The most shaky spot on the team this year is point guard, as fourth-year player Lou Williams set to take over the starting point guard spot due to Andre Miller’s departure to Portland in free agency. 

While the Sixers feel confident in Williams (expecting him to play 39 minutes a game this season), they also drafted UCLA PG Jrue Holiday as their first round pick in the NBA draft this year.  Holiday, who played SG at UCLA, has more than enough talent and basketball prowess to succeed—he needs a strong coach to show him the way.

Luckily, the Sixers picked up Eddie Jordan, former coach of the Washington Wizards, in the offseason.  Jordan led the Wizards to four straight playoff berths from 2005-2008 (despite being eliminated in the first round by LeBron’s Cavs the last three years), and has plenty of experience managing a number of different strong personalities. 

If Jordan could corral PG Gilbert Arenas, harnessing his talents to make him an All-Star and one of the most feared players in the league, Sixers’ PG Lou Williams has reason to be optimistic.

Not to take away anything from Mike Brown, who is the reigning NBA Coach of the Year, but if Jordan has experience with Arenas, PF Antawn Jamison, and SF Caron Butler, and could turn all three of them into a perennial playoff team, Jordan could do scary things with LeBron.  At the very least, the 76ers would immediately replace the Cavs as power players in the East, along with the rapidly-aging Celtics and the Magic.

3) I understand LeBron is a businessman and wants to become a global icon as much as he wants to win NBA championships, and I respect that.  While NYC has the drawing power of Madison Square Garden, I’d argue that no city loves its heroes more than Philadelphia.  Especially its heroes that deliver—winning in clutch situations, always exceeding expectations.

Philly fans were rabid about Allen Iverson for his decade of service in Philadelphia; while the rest of the league concerned itself over his cornrows, Sixers fans watched Iverson single-handedly led the team into the Finals in 2001 against the Lakers.

You still can’t walk two blocks in the city of Philadelphia these days without seeing someone in a Phillies hat or Phillies shirt.  The phrase “World F***in Champions” has inserted itself into city lore overnight.  The Phillies, long thought of as the city’s perennial chokers, are now the city’s sports saviors.

LeBron is one athlete that could instantly garner Philadelphia’s respect.  Any city that can accept Michael Vick with open arms would worship King James.  Every Philadelphian would own a LeBron jersey about three minutes after they went on sale.  The 76ers would sell out season tickets in all of 30 minutes.

If there’s one thing Philly fans love more than watching their sports legends succeed...it’s trash talking after their sports legends succeed.  LeBron would become more legendary than Jordan, Kobe, and Wilt put together...at least in the mind of Philly fans.  And they wouldn’t be shy to share that opinion with anyone within earshot. 

And in this globalized, Internet-centric economic market in 2009, Philadelphia are surely large enough a media market to give LeBron the international coverage he thirsts for.  The city has professional sports teams in all four of the big sports, and nothing matters more to Philly than its sports teams. 

LeBron fever would sweep Philadelphia more than the Jonas Brothers hysteria for teenage girls everywhere.

I’ll admit, I’m a Sixers fan through and through, and one desperate enough to see LeBron on my team next year that I’ll write 1,500 words about it.  But when you think about LeBron on the 76ers in 2010...why not?