Joel Embiid on LeBron James Joining 76ers: 'I Want to Be a Champion'
Shortly before the 2018 NBA draft, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid made his recruiting pitch to Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James.
In an interview with USA Today before the draft took place June 21, Embiid said, "He's the best player in the league at this moment, so I think he takes us to another level, which is important because at the end of the day, I want to be a champion. I want to do it myself. I want to have a lot to do with winning a championship or bringing a championship back to the city of Philadelphia."
James will become an unrestricted free agent if he declines the player option in his contract by Friday's deadline.
Embiid also praised the 76ers' "process" and and expressed his belief that James would potentially help take it to another level: "The process worked out pretty well, we got 50 wins last year, we got a lot of talented players on the team. We feel like adding another piece of his caliber is going to help us."
After missing the playoffs in five consecutive seasons, the Sixers went 50-32 in 2017-18 and reached the second round of the playoffs before falling to the Boston Celtics.
Embiid stayed healthy enough to appear in 63 games and put up All-Star numbers, while Ben Simmons won Rookie of the Year after averaging 15.8 points, 8.2 assists and 8.1 rebounds per game.
Philly has some other productive pieces in place as well, including Robert Covington and Dario Saric, while 2017 No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz will have high hopes entering next season after only making 14 appearances in his rookie campaign due to a shoulder injury
In March, Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer reported that the Sixers were one of four teams James would consider signing with, along with the Cavs, Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets.
Last week, OddsShark tweeted that the Lakers were 4-13 favorites to sign LeBron, while the 76ers were the fourth choice at 10-1.
The 33-year-old James is coming off a dominant season that saw him average 27.5 points, 9.1 assists and 8.6 rebounds per game.
He also led the Cavs to their fourth straight appearance in the NBA Finals despite receiving little help from his supporting cast.
Signing James would instantly make the 76ers the favorites to win the Eastern Conference in 2018-19, but there is no question that Philadelphia has a bright future with or without LeBron.
