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Category: Sixers/NBA

  • How LeBron James’ lingering decision is holding up the Sixers — and the NBA

    How LeBron James’ lingering decision is holding up the Sixers — and the NBA

    The latest turn in LeBron James’ free agency saga happened late Tuesday, when the Miami Heat published a YouTube livestream link scheduled for July 27 titled “LeBron James Introductory Press Conference.”

    A Heat spokesperson told multiple outlets it was a mistake by the organization’s social media team, which prepared the livestream in the event James chose to return to Miami. That is believable, considering that, since July 2, The Inquirer has had versions of breaking news stories ready for whenever James chooses the 76ers or another team.

    That firework broke up the LeBron-related nothingness of recent days.

    The Heat mistakenly posted a link to a ‘LeBron James Introductory Press Conference,’ and the internet is going wild

    The all-time great did not announce his new destination during multiple public appearances at Fanatics Fest in New York City late last week, even after some light coaxing by fellow NBA star and podcast guest Tyrese Haliburton. The rumblings that James’ announcement would come early this week — aka, after the World Cup final — were incorrect. And agent Rich Paul said on his Game Over podcast released Monday that James would not rush his decision.

    “It’s his choice to make,” Paul said of James. “And when he makes the choice, he’ll make it.”

    So we are now officially more than three weeks into the waiting game. Much longer than James’ nationally televised — and vilified — 2010 decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers to take his talents to South Beach (July 8). Or when he announced his triumphant return to Cleveland in a 2014 letter published in Sports Illustrated (July 11). Or when Paul’s agency, Klutch Sports, sent out a 2018 news release that James would sign with the Los Angeles Lakers (July 1).

    LeBron James has not picked a free-agency destination after three weeks of contemplation. Charles Fox / Staff Photographer

    It is not only holding up the Sixers, but much of the league.

    James is no longer a perennial MVP contender, but still an All-Star-caliber player at age 41, and essentially has halted the second wave of free agency. Teams that still believe they are in contention to land James — which also are desirable options for other veterans and role players looking to win — are holding a roster spot for him. When James makes his pick, the teams that do not land him will move on to players still in limbo, which includes the likes of DeMar DeRozan and Jonathan Kuminga.

    That Paul has said money is not a factor for James — aka, that he will take a minimum contract — eliminates the urgency during the early free-agency flurry, when salary cap space and players are at a premium.

    NBA commissioner Adam Silver even acknowledged last week that James’ decision is delaying the creation of the 2026-27 NBA schedule — which typically is released in mid-August — because his longstanding popularity demands that his team play in premier television matchups.

    Bron-O-Meter: What are the current chances of LeBron James joining the Sixers?

    August also is when a mostly around-the-clock league goes on hiatus until Labor Day, when players reconvene at their team facilities for informal workouts before training camps begin in late September.

    That period is when staffers — from front-facing executives and coaches, to important behind-the-scenes figures — plan vacations following months of nontraditional work schedules that require extensive travel and consistent nights and weekends. New Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey told The Inquirer at Las Vegas Summer League earlier this month that he has barely seen his four children since taking this job and that his family still needs to find a home in the Philly area. Some might scoff at feeling empathy toward the wealthy in high-profile NBA jobs, but these still are people.

    “I just need a break,” said Gansey, whose whirlwind start with the Sixers also included the blockbuster trade for All-NBA wing Jaylen Brown. “I think we all do, just because [this offseason has] been so much.”

    The most cynical also could say that James is doing all of this for content for Paul’s podcast or for sheer attention after a somewhat awkward end to his Lakers tenure once the team shockingly acquired Luka Dončić in February 2025 and signed Austin Reaves to a four-year, $185 million maximum contract. This saga surely will be a prominent component of a James documentary that reportedly has been in the works for years. It is evidence of the power James possesses as a cultural icon and stellar player, even entering his league-record 24th season.

    Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey has selected first-round draft pick Labaron Philon Jr., and traded for All-Star Jaylen Brown in his first summer in Philly. Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    Yet Gansey said he understood the gravity of James’ choice. This is a basketball legend determining his (likely) final on-court act.

    “I have all the respect in the world for him, and he’s smart as heck,” said Gansey, a fellow Ohioan who previously worked his way up the Cavaliers’ front office. “He’s going to figure it out and talk to his family. … Whatever he decides, I know he’s going to make the right decision.”

    So the Sixers — and the rest of the NBA — will continue to wait.

    And wait.

    And wait.

  • The Heat mistakenly posted a link to a ‘LeBron James Introductory Press Conference,’ and the internet is going wild

    The Heat mistakenly posted a link to a ‘LeBron James Introductory Press Conference,’ and the internet is going wild

    Things are heating up as the NBA awaits LeBron James’ free agency decision.

    The Miami Heat posted a link on YouTube to a livestream scheduled for July 27, titled “LeBron James Introductory Press Conference,” on Tuesday. It has since been taken down.

    A spokesperson for the Heat told ESPN that the link was accidentally posted as the team prepared for the possibility of signing James.

    Also on Tuesday, Miami reposted a job listing on LinkedIn for a director of YouTube strategy. The original job posting was made July 1 and doesn’t seem to be a direct result of the mishap, but social media has been reacting all the same.

    The Heat are one of the top teams in conversation for James’ possible next destination, along with the 76ers and the Cleveland Cavaliers. James previously played four seasons with Miami from 2010 to 2014 and won back-to-back NBA championships with the team in 2012 and 2013.

    Bron-O-Meter: Will LeBron James take his talents to South Broad and join the Sixers?

    Earlier Tuesday, Rich Paul, founder of Klutch Sports Group and James’ agent, appeared on The Pat McAfee Show and revealed that he doesn’t know when James will decide and said those awaiting the decision “just need to have a little patience with him.”

    Paul reiterated that it’s James’ choice, while his role is setting the table for the 22-time All-Star who’s entering his 24th season.

    “I think he’s earned the right not to be rushed,” Paul said. “It’s not a thing where you’re toying with people’s emotions or trying to make it about anything more than the fact that, ‘Hey, this man has a very important, layered, decision to make, across business, across family, across basketball.’”

    Earlier in the month, Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey voiced similar sentiments when he spoke with The Inquirer’s Gina Mizell on July 14.

    He said that he was waiting on James’ decision “like the rest of the NBA.” And that with a player like James, teams are always going to be OK with moving at his pace with the hopes of landing him.

    “We’d love to have him in Philly,” Gansey told The Inquirer from the Sixers’ team hotel. “I think he’d really, really help us and add to our group. But he’s making a big decision here. It’s wild [that] at his age [41], he’s playing at such a high level. But it’s not surprising.

    “I have all the respect in the world for him, and he’s smart as heck. He’s going to figure it out and talk to his family, and we’ll be waiting. Whatever he decides, I know he’s going to make the right decision.”

  • What the Sixers are saying about the Jaylen Brown trade, from ‘Oh, snap!’ to ‘It’s going to be special’

    What the Sixers are saying about the Jaylen Brown trade, from ‘Oh, snap!’ to ‘It’s going to be special’

    LAS VEGAS — Jaylen Brown has made one brief Sixers appearance, sitting courtside for Saturday’s Summer League game.

    Still, the acquisition of the All-NBA wing was one of the more prominent topics throughout his new team’s stay in Las Vegas. There were entertaining stories about how various Sixers found out about the blockbuster trade, illustrating how stunning the move was even to those close to it. And there was excitement for how Brown is expected to enhance a talented roster now with realistic aspirations to contend.

    Here is what the Sixers are saying about Brown:

    Inside Sixers: The LeBron James waiting game, Labaron Philon Jr.’s creativity, and more from Las Vegas Summer League

    VJ Edgecombe

    Edgecombe was in his native Bahamas — and at a spa — when he accidentally missed multiple calls from Sixers executive vice president of basketball operations Jameer Nelson.

    Then, when he saw a text from Nelson asking to call him as soon as possible, Edgecombe got nervous.

    “I was like, ‘Man, it’s free agency, why you calling me so much?’” Edgecombe recalled. “I thought I was gone.”

    VJ Edgecombe and Jaylen Brown will be the defensive pillars of the Sixers. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    The actual news Nelson wanted to share — that the trade for Brown was about to happen — still “shocked” Edgecombe, calling it “the last thing I expected.” Edgecombe also described it as “bittersweet” because of the quick rapport he developed with the outgoing Paul George, but said he is eager to play with Brown while at the “peak of his career.”

    Justin Edwards

    This trade was kept so under wraps that even Edwards did not catch wind of it while at the Sixers’ facility on the day it popped.

    Edwards had just finished a pool conditioning workout and glanced at the television on a sports program dissecting all the league-wide offseason moves. And did a double-take.

    “They were talking about Jaylen Brown and PG, but I didn’t pay attention to it,” Edwards said. “I [saw] it, but I looked away. Then I looked again. I’m like, ‘Oh, snap!’ So I called ’Rese [Tyrese Maxey] and he was like, ‘Yeah, man, I knew since this morning.’ I’m like, ‘That’s crazy.’”

    Dean Wade

    Wade had already agreed to sign with the Sixers as a free agent the night before the Brown trade. Wade said he was intrigued by a brief “rumor” he heard about the possibility of such a move, but believed it had died out. Then, “all of a sudden, out of nowhere, it just kind of popped back up and it was a done deal.”

    As a versatile wing defender who has played his entire career in the Eastern Conference, Wade has plenty of first-hand experience with trying to counter Brown’s offensive prowess and “edge.” He called Brown “definitely one of the toughest people I’ve had to guard. Especially last year, he was just a monster.”

    “He gets to his spots [on the court],” Wade said. “It doesn’t really matter if you’re there or not. If you don’t block it, it’s going in, probably. … His size and his athleticism and his skill, they all go hand-in-hand.

    “He’s hard to stay in front of. And then he’s also a lot stronger than people think. So he gives you a little bump in the paint [and] it’s kind of hard to recover from that.”

    Labaron Philon Jr.

    The rookie guard said he was not overly shocked when he heard about the trade because he prides himself on keeping his emotions in check. But he knows Brown is going to be a valuable resource during his first NBA season.

    Before Mike Gansey became a Sixers executive, he was a hard-nosed high school player that earned LeBron James’ respect

    “He has that championship DNA,” Philon said. “I feel like, as a young guy, that’s somebody you want to look up to [and] somebody you want to learn from. Somebody that’s already been in that moment, he can help all the other guys too that haven’t reached that level yet [and] help us get over that hump.

    “With him coming in, I feel like it’s going to be special. We’re going to go at it at practice. He’s going to push me. I’m going to try to push him to the next level.”

    Anfernee Simons

    Simons is joining a new team in the Sixers, but reuniting with a former teammate in Brown. They played together with the Celtics for part of last season, before Simons was traded to the Chicago Bulls at the February deadline.

    Simons called Brown “kind of the epitome” of a two-way player.

    “He’s going to guard the best [opposing] player and go out there and give you 30 [points],” Simons said during his first media availability as a Sixer. “That’s what makes him special, what makes him different.

    “So he’s going to come in and bring that championship mentality from Day 1 and try to instill that in the team.”

    Mike Gansey

    The Sixers’ new president of basketball operations landed Brown by following advice he learned while working his way up the Cleveland Cavaliers’ front office: Make the call. Gansey then aimed to assuage Brown’s initial shock about being traded to the rival Sixers with this simple message: “I want you on my team.”

    “I’ve watched him against Cleveland, and he’s always killed us,” Gansey said. “ … We’re just super lucky to get him, and I know he’s motivated. He’s going to be great for everyone because the young guys want that. He’s been a champion and Finals MVP. I think Joel [Embiid is] in a great space and he’s excited, as well.

    Mike Gansey shared a simple message with Jaylen Brown after the blockbuster trade: “I want you on my team.”Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    “Obviously, we’ve got to see what it looks like. You can’t win a trade in July. … Until we actually have a practice or a game, you just don’t know. You hope it’s going to work out, but it’ll take some time, I’m sure.

    “I would have never envisioned this, when I’m sitting there [for my introductory news conference in early June]. … Just opportunities arise. And that’s why, this business, you can plan all you want and prepare, but you just don’t know. Things happen.”

    Dalen Terry

    Terry was taking a nap — with his cell phone and his baby daughter resting on his chest — when the calls and messages about the trade started pouring in.

    “I’m like, ‘Am I still on the team?!’” Terry said once he checked his phone. “ … I’m like, ‘OK, who was it for?’ They said PG [and] I’m like, ‘Dang …’

    “I was just thinking about PG the whole time. Then I was like, ‘Wait, we got Jaylen Brown.’”

    Nick Nurse discusses Sixers’ ‘really good’ offseason, next steps for Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, and more

    Nick Nurse

    The Sixers’ coach praised Brown’s versatility on both ends of the floor, along with his competitiveness and winning pedigree.

    “You watch him get a lot better from year to year to year,” Nurse said, “and how much harder that became to game plan for him. … He’s sitting in his prime. It’s amazing that he’s going to be a Sixer.”

    T.J. DiLeo

    When asked about Brown sitting courtside for Saturday’s Summer League game, DiLeo had a confession.

    “Can I tell you the truth?” the summer Sixers’ coach said. “I didn’t even see him. I try not to look over there that much, but that is amazing to have him here. … The guys seeing him, obviously, that’s great. That’s what we’re looking for with our team, just the support of one another, the support of the organization. So that’s really cool that he [was] here, man.

    “I wish [I’d seen] him now. I probably [would have] looked over and would have shook his hand afterward, or something.”

  • Before Mike Gansey became a Sixers executive, he was a hard-nosed high school player who earned LeBron James’ respect

    Before Mike Gansey became a Sixers executive, he was a hard-nosed high school player who earned LeBron James’ respect

    Steve Gansey was playing with his son a few weeks ago, as ESPN hummed in the background, when he heard something unusual. It was Kendrick Perkins, talking to his NBA Today cohosts, about a photo that recently went viral.

    It was taken in 2000, and was on the front page of the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s sports section. Ten high school basketball players from Northeast Ohio stood side by side, in their respective jerseys.

    The group had been voted by coaches and athletics directors as the best players in the region. There was Maverick Carter and Chester Mason (“Chet the Jet”) toward the left. Brian Swift was closer to the middle, alongside Mike Patrick.

    Mike Gansey ‘never would have envisioned’ landing Jaylen Brown in his first Sixers offseason — and is happy to wait on LeBron James’ decision

    But what caught the commentators’ attention was to the far right: future Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey, of Olmsted Falls High School, alongside future Hall of Famer LeBron James, of St. Vincent-St. Mary.

    Gansey was a junior at the time; James was a freshman. Steve Gansey, Mike’s younger brother, posted the photo on X on July 1, with an eyeball emoji, promptly setting the Sixers fan base ablaze with speculation.

    Before long, it received hundreds of retweets. Sixers fans sent Gansey direct messages asking if he had any information on whether James would consider coming to Philadelphia.

    He says he didn’t.

    “I’m getting DMs like ‘Hey if you make this happen, free cheesesteaks,’” Steve said. “And I’m like, ‘OK, alright, cool!’”

    The post eventually reached the NBA Today crew. As the younger Gansey held a Sheriff Woody doll in one hand, and a Buzz Lightyear doll in the other, he overheard the panel referring to him.

    “Perk goes, ‘Gansey’s little brother posted this picture,’” Gansey said. “And I’m like, ‘Uh oh. Mike’s going to be [ticked].’”

    Mike was not upset. The younger Gansey, who coached for 14 years (seven as head coach) in the NBA G League, asked if his brother wanted him to delete the photo. The Sixers executive said, “No dude, it’s cool.” But he certainly wasn’t as enthusiastic as Sixers fans.

    “Mike is a very humble person,” Steve said. “He doesn’t like attention and all that. I just think it’s one of the coolest pictures, and it’s not just Mike and LeBron.

    “There are some unbelievable basketball players in that Cleveland, Akron, northeast Ohio area. I’m glad they’re getting some love, too.”

    Sixers president Mike Gansey (left) and NBA star LeBron James both played high school basketball in Ohio, where James beat out Gansey for Mr. Basketball Ohio in 2001.Tom Gralish and Charles Fox / Staff Photographers

    Steve has long teased his brother about his run-in with the future Hall of Famer. When Mike was working in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ front office, his brother would joke that he’d make T-shirts with the photo printed on the front.

    Mike’s response: “No. Do not do that.”

    Steve also sent the photo to Koby Altman, Cleveland’s president of basketball operations, who worked closely with Gansey in the Cavaliers’ front office.

    “Koby loved it,” Steve said. “He laughed. He said, ‘Oh I know, we’ve talked about it a couple times.’”

    The truth is that James and Gansey never competed against each other on their high school teams. Olmsted Falls and St. Vincent-St. Mary were in different regions.

    Olmsted Falls, which is on the west side of Cleveland, was grouped with schools in northwest Ohio, closer to Toledo. St. Vincent-St. Mary’s is south of Cleveland, and often played schools in the Akron-Canton area.

    Mike Sielski: LeBron to the Sixers would be bigger than we seem to understand

    It is possible they overlapped playing AAU ball, but if they did, Steve didn’t hear about it. Coincidentally, the elder Gansey also played AAU ball against former Eagles and current Green Bay defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, who is also from the Cleveland area.

    “He went to St. Ignatius,” Steve said. “Mike battled him.”

    Despite their lack of competitive overlap, James and Mike Gansey shared a mutual respect. Over the years, Gansey frequently referred to the future Hall of Famer as the “greatest of all time.”

    And James thought highly of the future executive, too. One time, when Gansey was playing in Europe, and James was in the midst of his first stint with the Cavaliers, the two brothers went to a game at Quicken Loans Arena (now Rocket Arena).

    Gansey knew some of Cleveland’s players, from training with them during the summer, and went down to the tunnel to say hello.

    “And we were probably 100 feet from where LeBron and his people were talking,” Steve recalled. “Someone said, ‘Ganz is over there.’ And LeBron totally walked the opposite way of where he was going, and went to dap up Mike, to say, ‘What’s up, hey man, how you doing?’ Just a quick hello.

    “It just shows you the respect. And I was like, ‘Man, Mike, he really walked 100 feet over here, and just dapped you, and walked directly right back. That’s pretty cool.’ And Mike’s like, ‘Yeah, yeah, he’s a great guy,’ and that was it. I’ll always remember that.”

    Steve Gansey (left center) is the younger brother of Sixers executive Mike Gansey (right center).Courtesy of Steve Gansey

    The Sixers president of basketball operations isn’t the type to brag about any of this, or even mention it. He has never been one for the limelight. His high school coach, Pat Donahue, described him as a team player, almost to a “fault.”

    Gansey was one of the best players in the state (he came in second in Mr. Basketball voting in the state of Ohio in 2001, behind none other than James) but wasn’t a ball hog.

    If anything, he was the opposite. There were times when Donahue would have to talk to Gansey, midgame, to encourage him to take more shots. Even in AAU, competing with players who were trying to get the attention of college schools, he was very much team-first.

    “He very rarely came out and said, ‘OK, I’m gonna hit five threes in this game to try to get the coach from Duke to pay attention to me,’” said Donahue. “He was more, ‘Hey, I’ll pass to this guy,’ or ‘I’ll do this, I’ll get some rebounds and help the team win.’ And he’s always been that way.”

    Bron-O-Meter: What are the current chances of LeBron James joining the Sixers?

    Despite the future executive’s selfless style of play, he finished his high school career with 1,909 points, which is still the boys’ basketball all-time record at Olmsted Falls. Donahue felt bad that his pupil wasn’t able to reach 2,000, and mentioned this to him after his senior season.

    “I walked up to him and I said, ‘Mike, I’m sorry, 90 more points, or whatever it was,’” Donahue said. “‘I could have gotten you that by doing stuff for you.’ And he goes, ‘Coach. I don’t care. That doesn’t mean anything.’ And that’s just the way he is. It didn’t mean anything to him.”

    Gansey’s professional basketball career was short-lived. He had a short stint in the D-League (now the G League) and played in Germany, Italy, and Spain for a few years. But that experience was not for naught.

    Those who know Gansey best say he was quietly studying the players around him, through an entirely different lens. As his teammates thought about how to attack opponents, the future executive was pondering roster construction and player makeup.

    Mike Gansey was hired as the Sixers’ president of basketball operations last month.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    When he reached the Cavaliers’ front office, he was well acquainted with the NBA. But that didn’t keep Gansey from his meticulous preparation. He would attend Summer League games with Donahue in Las Vegas, bringing a big notepad to scribble down thoughts during games.

    “He’d be at every Summer League game, and he would sit there,” Donahue said, “and this is before he was the [general manager] of the Canton [G League] team. He would watch every summer league game. Every one.

    “And he would sit there with his notebook, and he would just take notes about the players. I don’t even know how much say he had in what the Cavs did. He just wanted to be prepared.”

    LeBron James said he wants to go to a team that ‘trusts the process’ — but claimed it’s not a Sixers hint

    His little brother and the former Olmsted Falls coach say that in Gansey, the Sixers are getting a hardworking executive who keeps his head down but is aggressive, just like he was as a player.

    And so far, his Philadelphia tenure is off to a promising start (with the exception of a Phillies mishap in June).

    “Oh, he loves it,” Steve said. “He loves it. He loves the city, loves everyone embracing him. Mike felt really bad about that no-hitter he jinxed, but I joked with him, ‘I think you made up for it a little bit.’

    “I mean, time will tell, but you got them off your back at least. So, that’s pretty impressive, even though you haven’t played any games yet.”

  • LeBron James said he wants to go to a team that ‘trusts the process’ — but claimed it’s not a Sixers hint

    LeBron James said he wants to go to a team that ‘trusts the process’ — but claimed it’s not a Sixers hint

    Hey, LeBron, could you say that again?

    On Friday, during a live taping of LeBron James’ The Shop talk show at Fanatics Fest, the four-time champion used some choice words while describing what team he would like to join next.

    “I want to compete at a high level,” James said on stage at the Javits Center in New York City. “I want to join a franchise that kind of shares the same, you know, model as myself. And that’s like practicing championship habits every day, but trusting the process more than anything. I think you actually trust the process of actually getting to that point.”

    Cheers from the festival’s crowd interrupted James’ thought after he said “trust the process” a second time — for good reason. The phrase, popularized by former 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie and later adopted by Sixers star Joel Embiid, has since become synonymous with the team. James, noticing what he said, quickly clarified his comments.

    “I’ve been saying ‘to trust the process’ since I was drafted in like 2003,” James said. “I don’t even know if Embiid was even born yet.”

    LeBron to the Sixers would be bigger than we seem to understand | Mike Sielski

    It seems that James’ “trust the process” comment was just a coincidence and not a hint toward his next team. Or was it?

    On Thursday, during a live recording of James’ podcast Mind the Game, his co-host and Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton also seemed to not-so-subtly drop the Sixers in conversation. Haliburton asked James, “What are you going on, what is this … Year 76?”

    James has not otherwise spoken about his free agency — and shut Haliburton down when he tried to broach the subject.

    The idea of James joining the Sixers a few months ago seemed near-impossible. Today, a few weeks after the team’s blockbuster trade for former Celtics star Jaylen Brown, it is a genuine possibility that the all-time great wraps up his career in Philadelphia.

    Bron-O-Meter: What are the current chances of LeBron James joining the Sixers?

    James’ agent and Klutch Sports head Rich Paul has already confirmed that the Sixers are a possible landing spot for his longtime client, and even had Bob Myers on his podcast, where the Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment president made his pitch. The Sixers front office has also made their interest public, with team president of basketball operations Mike Gansey telling The Inquirer on Tuesday that he would “love to have [James] in Philly.” Additionally, Embiid, Brown, and Tyrese Maxey, who has been pointed to as one of the main things attracting James to Philly, have already been in contact with the future Hall of Famer, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

    With James’ “trust the process” comment, Sixers fans have gone full conspiracy mode on social media. Some are even celebrating as if it is confirmation James is headed to Philadelphia.

    Friday marks 18 days since NBA free agency began. And James said on CNBC’s Boardroom on Thursday that “that he “won’t hold you guys up too much longer.” But some Sixers and NBA fans are fed up with James for taking so long to make a decision:

  • LeBron to the Sixers would be bigger than we seem to understand

    LeBron to the Sixers would be bigger than we seem to understand

    On Oct. 28, 2003, the 76ers opened their regular season at home — the arena was called the Wachovia Center then — with an 89-74 victory over the Miami Heat. It was the first game of Randy Ayers’ head coaching career, a career that would last just 52 games before he was fired. The Sixers’ starting lineup that night would make for a trivia question that would stump even the most obsessive hoops historian. Can you name the five? Don’t bother trying. They were Allen Iverson, Eric Snow, Derrick Coleman, Kenny Thomas, and John Salmons. It was, to put it mildly, a long time ago.

    The next night, LeBron James played his first game in the NBA.

    Bron-O-Meter: What are the current chances of LeBron James joining the Sixers?

    It is not enough to say that James has been with us ever since, for more than 22 years. It is not enough, now that the 76ers are reportedly one of the few franchises for whom James might choose to play this season, to say that he would be a nice, snug fit with Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, VJ Edgecombe, and Joel Embiid (when Embiid is healthy enough to suit up). For much of those two decades-plus, he has been the dominant figure in professional basketball and, at times, in all of sports. If your primary thought about a James-Sixers union is, He’d be the perfect power forward for this team, you’re shrinking him to a ridiculous size.

    Immediately upon his arrival, he would be the biggest sports star in this city, beyond any of his teammates, beyond anyone on the Eagles or Phillies. A talk-radio debate about Jalen Hurts would be a literary salon next to the daily LeBron discourse.

    LeBron James’ arrival would dwarf that of Bryce Harper and other superstars.Mark J. Terrill

    Steph Curry changed the way basketball was played and the way boys and girls around the world wanted to play it, and among the fraternity of NBA players themselves, Kobe Bryant was more respected and feared, for his preparation and cutthroat competitiveness, than James. But James has been greater longer than any other player in the sport (with the possible exception of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, if you count his Lew Alcindor/UCLA years).

    Set aside, if possible, the four NBA championships and the 10 Finals appearances and the league’s career scoring record and the three Olympic gold medals and the other records he has set. His choreographed announcement in 2010 that he was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat was the 21st century’s answer to the revelation that Kristin Shepard had pumped two bullets into J.R. Ewing’s belly. It changed everything about the power that elite players held over their respective teams because it showed elite players that they held power over their respective teams. Pro sports hasn’t been the same.

    Finding an athlete comparable to James in popularity and influence is difficult enough, let alone one who arrived in Philadelphia during the middle stage or latter half of his career, after he had established his galactic superstardom. Wilt Chamberlain already had been a high school phenom here when the Warriors made him a territorial pick in the 1959 NBA draft. Julius Erving was the “Babe Ruth of basketball” — at least, that’s how Sixers general manager Pat Williams described him in trying to persuade owner Fitz Dixon to cough up the money to acquire Dr. J. But Erving had spent six years in the relative obscurity of the ABA; telling someone you had seen him play for the Virginia Squires or New York Nets, whether in person or on TV, was akin to claiming you had spotted a Sasquatch.

    Allen Iverson was a pop-culture revolutionary with the Sixers for introducing hip-hop style and fashion into the mainstream; his on-court accomplishments, though, don’t stack up to James’. Bryce Harper was as well known as any player in Major League Baseball when he signed with the Phillies in 2019, but he didn’t and still doesn’t have anywhere near the global recognition and cachet that James does. We’re talking an all-timer among all-timers here.

    LeBron James didn’t reveal his next NBA home at Fanatics Fest, but hinted that a decision is coming soon

    None of this context and history means that James will sign with the Sixers, and none of it means that they’ll win a championship for the first time since 1983 if he does. But it does provide a good counterbalance to the muted public reaction to the prospect that James could become a Sixer any day now. Yeah, he’s 41. Yeah, he has his coterie of agents and handlers and podcasters and supplicants. Yeah, he could turn out to be a handful or worse, especially if he wants to be the alpha on a team of younger, talented players who believe their time is now and aren’t interested in taking a backseat to anyone, even to one of the five best players ever.

    Cool. I’ll believe LeBron will sign with the Sixers when I see it; if I had to guess, I’d say he opts for a charming third go-round with the Cavaliers. But if he does come here … bring it on. Bring on the hope and expectations and the potential chaos. LeBron James in Philadelphia could be a coup, and it could be a disaster, and that volatility would be the fun and fascinating part of it. When Michael Jordan came out of retirement and joined the Wizards in 2001, just two years before James’ debut, The Washington Post assigned a writer, Michael Leahy, to cover Jordan and Jordan alone — a reporter whose beat wasn’t the cops or the courthouse or the ‘burbs or the basketball team, but one man. To my editors: Sign me up.

    LeBron James has been living it up while the NBA world awaits his next decision
  • LeBron James didn’t reveal his next NBA home at Fanatics Fest, but hinted that a decision is coming soon

    LeBron James didn’t reveal his next NBA home at Fanatics Fest, but hinted that a decision is coming soon

    All eyes were on LeBron James as the free agent took the stage at Fanatics Fest in New York City on Thursday. Recording a live episode of his podcast, Mind the Game, some speculated that the former Laker would announce where he’s heading next season.

    Alas, no dice.

    The question is on everyone’s mind, even his co-host, Tyrese Haliburton. The Pacers star joked with James, “What are you going on, what is this … Year 76?” as a not-so-subtle nod to the speculation that James will end up in Philadelphia.

    LeBron James has been living it up while the NBA world awaits his next decision

    Early in the event, Haliburton tried to press James on his decision, but he wasn’t having it.

    “We literally talked about this in the back, Rese,” he said. Haliburton backed off, replying that he would “leave it alone.”

    As fans were shouting various NBA teams he should join during the podcast recording, James said: “What do I hear? I heard Warriors … and Philly … Miami … this guys just told me to come to the Yankees. … We’ll see what happens.“

    The most James said about his current situation was in response to an 11-year-old who asked how he feels about being a free agent.

    James responded that “it’s a big decision for not only myself but for my family as well … where I want to spend the last few years, or the last year, or the last two years.”

    Later Thursday at the CNBC and Boardroom Game Plan Summit, James hinted that a decision could be coming soon, and that he “won’t hold you guys up too much longer,” according to ESPN.

    Many have speculated that the 41-year-old is heading into his final year in the NBA. Perhaps that’s not the case.

    LeBron James has floated the Sixers as a potential landing spot as he considers teams during NBA free agency.Charles Fox / Staff Photographer

    During his live podcast, James also touched on the current strength of the Eastern Conference, acknowledging the Jaylen Brown trade to the 76ers and Giannis Antetokounmpo’s trade from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Miami Heat — another team James is reportedly considering in free agency.

    “I think the East right now is going to be very exciting,” James said. He added that heading into the preseason, this may be the first time the Eastern Conference gets discussed more than the West.

    Mike Gansey ‘never would have envisioned’ landing Jaylen Brown in his first Sixers offseason — and is happy to wait on LeBron James’ decision

    Current Sixers, like Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Brown have communicated directly with James, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. These comments come alongside the team’s new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey, who told The Inquirer on Tuesday that they would “love to have him in Philly.”

  • Jayson Tatum finally reacts to the Jaylen Brown trade: ‘If I’m being transparent, it’s weird’

    Jayson Tatum finally reacts to the Jaylen Brown trade: ‘If I’m being transparent, it’s weird’

    It’s been two weeks since the seismic Jaylen Brown trade to the 76ers, and his former teammate and co-star, Boston Celtics guard Jayson Tatum, finally has a response.

    “If I’m being transparent, it’s weird,” Tatum said in an ESPN interview at the ESPY Awards. “I’ve been on the Celtics for nine years, and he was my teammate every single one of those.”

    LeBron James has been living it up while the NBA world awaits his next decision

    Tatum joined Brown in Boston as the No. 3 draft pick in 2017, one year after Brown himself was selected third. Since then, the duo has played more than 600 games together and won a championship in 2024. Despite that bond, Tatum said he understands that “the NBA is a business” and is ready to turn his focus to next season.

    “There’s still a human element of it that you feel those emotions. The city feels those emotions,” Tatum said. “But there’s also a side of like, we have to welcome our new teammates in with open arms, and we still have to attack the new season.

    “So there’s like a balance,” he added. “But it’s weird.”

    The reaction to Tatum’s response has been largely one of frustration among Celtics fans. Many of the top comments on X under a video of the interview call Tatum “fake” and say he “was asking for it.” The trade, which sent 36-year-old Paul George to Boston, has the team reshaping its roster ahead of the 2026-27 season. Tatum agreed in the interview that the team has a lot of work to do.

    Jaylen Brown (left) and Jayson Tatum (right) spent nine seasons together with the Boston Celtics.Michael Dwyer

    For Brown, the emotions about leaving Boston are complicated also. He expressed his thoughts in a statement on social media.

    “I’m still processing how this all went down,” Brown said. “I’m excited and disappointed at the same time. I earned my respect from this city. I never asked for shortcuts or special treatment. I simply showed up every day, put my head down, and accepted every challenge.”

    He added in a Twitch stream that he is “excited for what comes next” despite the “lack of respect” from his former team.

    Philadelphia, however, is prepared to welcome him with open arms. New 76ers president Mike Gansey expressed his gratitude, “We’re just super lucky to get him, and I know he’s motivated,” he said. Brown will be eligible to sign an extension with the Sixers on July 26.

    For now, both players and fans seem to agree on one thing: after nine years together, there’s no clean way to say goodbye.

  • LeBron James has been living it up while the NBA world awaits his next decision

    LeBron James has been living it up while the NBA world awaits his next decision

    Philadelphia is on pins and needles waiting for LeBron James’ decision. Meanwhile, he seems to be living his best life.

    Almost two weeks ago, James’ agent and Klutch Sports head Rich Paul first confirmed the 76ers were a possible landing spot for the four-time MVP. Since Paul’s confirmation, the buzz around James signing with the Sixers has only grown. Soon after, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment president Bob Myers joined Paul’s Game Over podcast to indirectly pitch the Sixers to James. During his appearance, Myers argued Philadelphia would give James the “best chance to win.”

    Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey, who Myers hired, made his position known on Tuesday.

    “We’d love to have [James] in Philly,” Gansey told The Inquirer. “I think he’d really, really help us and add to our group. But he’s making a big decision here. It’s wild [that] at his age [41], he’s playing at such a high level. But it’s not surprising.”

    On Monday, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that Sixers stars Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Jaylen Brown have all communicated directly with James. Maxey, who is also signed to Klutch Sports, “lead the charge.”

    With the entire NBA being sent into a frenzy over James’ impending decision, one person has stayed suspiciously quiet through it all — James himself. That could change with James appearing on a live-edition of the “Mind the Game” podcast during Fanatics Fest on Thursday. He will appear alongside Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, who hyped up James’ upcoming appearance on X.

    So what is taking so long? Well, it appears James has been a bit preoccupied. Here’s what the all-time great has been up to:

    Golfing with Kevin Hart

    On Tuesday, James spent a day on the links with comedian Kevin Hart — a Philadelphia native.

    The two played in North Jersey and were joined by Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green. Notably, James has also been linked to Golden State as a possible landing spot. Green previously said he made a “crazy” pitch to James to join the Warriors while on a different golfing trip in Puerto Rico.

    During Tuesday’s trip, clips were posted to social media of the trio golfing and razzing each other. From the videos available, it appears that Hart had the worst day on the course:

    “You stink, you’re here because you’re Kevin Hart,” Green joked, adding “you’re here to provide jokes.”

    Contrary to Green’s assertion, Hart’s ”jokes” might not have been the only reason the comedian made time to golf. Could he have been trying to sell the Sixers to James? Hart has made his Philadelphia fandom known in the past and did help entice Paul George to sign with the franchise in 2024.

    “It’s just fan energy. I have no alliance to that office,” Hart previously told Taylor Rooks on her podcast. “I’m not in the business. I’m just a diehard Sixers fan. Once I heard it could possibly be, or we could possibly have, that’s just me being a fan, and having a relationship.”

    Attending three Jay-Z concerts

    A few days before golfing in Jersey, James spent the weekend across the Hudson.

    There, James attended all three days of rapper Jay-Z’s consecutive sold-out shows at Yankee Stadium. The two have known each other since James was a sophomore at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio. James was spotted dancing to Jay-Z’s 2003 hit “Public Service Announcement” — which was released just over two weeks after James’ first NBA game.

    James also was seen hanging with Celtics star Jayson Tatum at the concert. Unlike Philadelphia, Boston has not been floated publicly by James’ camp as a potential landing location. Maybe James asked Tatum about his former co-star Brown, who is now in Philadelphia.

    Watching the World Cup

    Maybe James — like the rest of us — is just preoccupied with the World Cup?

    A vocal soccer fan, James showed love for US Men’s National Team striker Folarin Balogun after his Round of 32 goal against Bosnia. After scoring, Balogun performed the “silencer” celebration — made famous by James during his time with the Miami Heat.

    Earlier this week, Balogun signed with Klutch Sports.

  • Inside Sixers: The LeBron James waiting game, Labaron Philon Jr.’s creativity, and more from Las Vegas Summer League

    Inside Sixers: The LeBron James waiting game, Labaron Philon Jr.’s creativity, and more from Las Vegas Summer League

    LAS VEGAS — LeBron James has been everywhere — and nowhere — during the NBA Summer League.

    It has been more than two weeks since the all-time great told the Los Angeles Lakers that he will play somewhere else during the 2026-27 season. Yet as the NBA’s prominent figures converged in Sin City, more speculation than actual insight has percolated about where that next destination will be — and the 76ers’ status as a contender.

    New president of basketball operations Mike Gansey acknowledged to The Inquirer on Tuesday morning that his team is “waiting, like the rest of the NBA” for James’ decision. Young standout VJ Edgecombe beamed when asked Monday about his team’s pursuit of James, but added, “If we do get him, I’m happy. If we don’t, I’m still happy.”

    Mike Gansey ‘never would have envisioned’ landing Jaylen Brown in his first Sixers offseason — and is happy to wait on LeBron James’ decision

    Elsewhere, a conversation among league followers and participants earlier in the week led to pondering if James would make his choice on Wednesday — aka, the annual dead day in the American sports calendar following the MLB All-Star Game (spoiler: he did not). Perhaps James’ scheduled appearances at Fanatics Fest NYC on Thursday and Friday will be the stage for such an announcement.

    During this leaguewide wait — which has mostly put the second wave of free agency on hold — on-court basketball things still have occurred.

    Labaron Philon Jr., the Sixers’ first-round draft pick, has demonstrated why this new-look front office believed it could not pass on him at No. 22. Second-year big man Johni Broome has recovered from knee surgery, and has flashed interior dominance in an environment where he should thrive. Quintessential Summer League stories have emerged from the Sixers’ team.

    Here are some final nuggets from The Inquirer’s stay in Las Vegas:

    Philon’s creativity

    Philon has been a fearless shot-maker, averaging 19.7 points and sinking 38.9% of his six three-point attempts in his first three Summer League games before Wednesday’s 7-of-24 clunker from the floor (1-of-13 from beyond the arc) against the Orlando Magic.

    Perhaps even more impressive has been the rookie’s sharp ballhandling and passing, especially with a team that was assembled quickly. His more “freestyle” or “backyard-type” moments, he said, draw inspiration from Jason Williams and Kyrie Irving.

    Sixers first-round draft pick Labaron Philon Jr. has flashed offensive creativity at NBA Summer League. Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    “Just being able to make one move and go,” Philon said, “I feel like that will be important for me with better defenders and stronger guys [in the NBA]. Just being able to have that creativity is important. … I don’t really see a lot of young guards with that kind of creativity.”

    Dalen Terry’s daughter steals the spotlight

    A massive Sixers contingent sat courtside for Tuesday’s game against the Houston Rockets, including owner Josh Harris, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment president Bob Myers, front office executives Gansey, Jameer Nelson, and Prosper Karangwa, and players Edgecombe, Dominick Barlow, and Justin Edwards.

    Yet Dalen Terry’s baby daughter may have been the most popular person on the team’s version of celebrity row.

    “This is something I’ve always dreamed of, just having my kids here,” Terry said. “I want her to be able to see a picture of her on my lap asleep during the game. In 10 years, she’ll be like, ‘I was there?!’ [I’ll be] like, ‘You were right there on TV and everybody was talking about you.’”

    After signing a two-way contract with the Sixers following the February trade deadline — which was converted to a standard deal late in the regular season — the team picked up Terry’s $2.6 million option for the 2026-27 season. The 24-year-old guard said he had “no doubts” the Sixers would re-up with him, though his deal is nonguaranteed until Jan. 10.

    The Sixers picked up Dalen Terry’s (left) $2.6 million option for the 2026-27 seasonMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Terry added that he has spent this offseason drilling his shooting, what he called the “biggest knock” on his game with career splits of 44.3/31.4/63.8 in four NBA seasons. He also found value in experiencing the playoffs for the first time — even while playing the final minutes of the New York Knicks’ dominant sweep of the Sixers.

    “You see the rotations get shorter,” Terry said. “Everything is just so much more compact. Every mistake matters. … It was crazy to just see how intense the games were. It was almost like college, the Final Four every game.”

    Meet ‘Big Fish’

    During a timeout in Thursday’s opener against the Detroit Pistons, Isaac Johnson had this message for his new teammates: “Welcome to Vegas. You can make a lot more money than at the tables right now.”

    Meet one of Summer League’s more colorful characters.

    Johnson, a 7-foot, mustache-sporting center originally from Utah, is nicknamed “Big Fish” because of a middle school inside joke between him and a much-shorter friend that stuck. He became a fan favorite during a winding-yet-successful college career that took him to Oregon, then to Utah State, then to Hawaii. While at Utah State, Johnson had a name, image, and likeness deal with local fast-food chain Arctic Circle, creating a milkshake with the Swedish Fish candy.

    VJ Edgecombe was ‘shocked’ by the Jaylen Brown trade, and loves the Sixers’ pursuit of LeBron James

    “I love people, and I love genuine people,” Johnson said of why he naturally connects with fan bases. “So I try to be as genuine as I can. I’m one that hopefully gives more than I take.”

    In Las Vegas, the undrafted Johnson said he hoped to demonstrate team-first defensive qualities such as helping on screens, protecting the rim, and boxing out.

    And to shoot the ball when he is open.

    Isaac Johnson (center) played for three schools across five collegiate seasons and landed with the Sixers’ Summer League team.Craig Mitchelldyer

    That was on full display in the Sixers’ first win over the Pistons. He scored 20 points in 20 minutes and went 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, including a falling four-point play that prompted an enthusiastic scream upon hitting the deck.

    “I’m usually a very logical person, so I don’t react in any negative ways,” Johnson said. “But as long as it’s energy-giving, my emotions are very big. So you can see that in my celebrations.”

    Matt Rogers’ road back

    Matt Rogers drilled a corner three-pointer late in Saturday’s overtime win over the Indiana Pacers, right in front of new Sixer Jaylen Brown.

    It was not only a highlight moment for an undrafted player using Summer League to “try to get my name out there” for opportunities in the U.S. and abroad. It was evidence of Rogers’ road back from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, which sidelined him for about 16 months.

    After an unexpected setback, Johni Broome aims ‘to keep proving myself’ at Summer League

    “I’m just blessed to be out here,” said Rogers, who starred at American University before his injury. “ … I’m just happy to be out here and showcase my skills again.”

    Rogers scored 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting in Saturday’s victory and complemented that outside shooting with productive cuts to the basket.

    “He makes smart plays,” Sixers summer league coach T.J. DiLeo said of Rogers. “He’s in the right spot. He takes what’s given to him.”

    Quotable

    Johnson on Philon’s game: “He might be the steal in this draft, I’m not going to lie. Too many teams let him slip. For him to fall here? He is incredible. How quick he is. How tight his handle is. How he’s able to shoot the ball [and get] down the lane. His passing instincts. He honestly might be the steal of the draft, and I’ll say that very confidently.”