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  • A LeBron fan’s guide to Sixers fandom: A fun song, weird injuries, and a divisive ‘Process’

    A LeBron fan’s guide to Sixers fandom: A fun song, weird injuries, and a divisive ‘Process’

    When LeBron James signed with the 76ers, he wasn’t just bringing his talent to the roster, he was bringing a whole new fan base to Philadelphia as well.

    As one of the most famous basketball players of all time, James’ fans run deep and wide. So if you’ve spent the past few years rooting for the Los Angeles Lakers after multiple stints as a Cleveland Cavaliers fan and experienced a couple championships while rooting for James on the Miami Heat, here’s what you need to know about being a Sixers fan:

    Here come the Sixers

    There’s a chance you’ll be hearing a lot of the Sixers victory song, “Here Come the Sixers” this season, so be prepared to know every word.

    The tune was commissioned in 1975 by the then-general manager Pat Williams as a way to bring energy into the arena. Randy Childress, Terry Rocap, and Joe Sherwood, better known as the band Fresh Aire, created the song that’s still used today and encourages fans to “clap your hands” and “stomp your feet” for the Sixers.

    In 1986, when Williams left the Sixers, the song became less used until the early 2000s, when WIP host Angelo Cataldi repopularized it on his show.

    If you can remember the hand clapping, the feet stomping, and can count “one, two, three, four, five, Sixers,” you already know the basics of the song.

    How ‘Here Come the Sixers’ became the hit record three Delco friends once dreamed of

    Odd injuries are common

    If you’ve ever watched an episode of The Pitt, Grey’s Anatomy, or any other medical drama and thought that some of the ailments seemed a little far-fetched, then you don’t know the Sixers.

    Shortly after Markelle Fultz returned after a monthslong shoulder injury, he collided with Joel Embiid during a game, breaking Embiid’s orbital bone in 2018. And it wouldn’t be the only time Embiid broke that facial bone. He did so again in 2022 after an elbow to the face in Game 6 of the first round of playoffs against the Toronto Raptors. He also dealt with Bell’s palsy, or facial paralysis, on the left side of his face during the 2024 playoff run. And these are just Embiid’s face-related injuries.

    Sixers center Joel Embiid adjusts his mask during a game against the Charlotte Hornets in 2024.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    But if those aren’t convincing enough, there also is the time in 2018 Zhaire Smith ate a chicken dish during his rookie season and suffered a severe allergic reaction because of sesame in the dish. Fortunately, Smith was OK.

    With Ben Simmons’ fractured foot after rolling over his ankle in training camp as a rookie, or the time Kelly Oubre Jr. reportedly being hit by a car, the injury list goes on and on.

    Don’t say you haven’t been warned.

    Joel Embiid injury tracker

    Franklin the Dog

    The mascot is a dog.

    Yes, on a team with Constitutional-esque branding, the mascot is a dog. Franklin the dog to be exact.

    But there’s still a founding father tie-in there. Franklin gets his name from none other than Ben Franklin, whose legacy lives on in the Constitution, electricity, and a giant dog with blue fur.

    Franklin was introduced in 2015, marketed as a “fan’s best friend,” after the Sixers went four years without a mascot.

    Before Franklin, there was Hip-Hop, the acrobatic rabbit known for slam dunks. Hip-Hop, who reigned as the primary mascot from 1998 to 2011, was brought back as a secondary mascot for the 2025-26 season.

    The first Sixers mascot, however, was Big Shot, a fuzzy blue creature with red hair and big sunglasses, who came from the same creators as the Phillies’ mascot, the Phillie Phanatic. Big Shot was the Sixers’ mascot from 1982 to 1996.

    Sixers fans hated Big Shot. Then a guy from Bridesburg made the mascot come alive. | from 2023

    Trust the Process?

    “Trust the Process” has become a slogan closely associated with the Sixers’ rebuild process, starting in 2013 under former general manager Sam Hinkie.

    During the Hinkie years, “The Process” became synonymous with tanking for draft picks in an attempt to rebuild. Despite some big trades, like trading the team’s only All-Star at the time, Jrue Holiday to the New Orleans Pelicans for the sixth overall draft pick, some continued to trust.

    Sixers GM Sam Hinkie (left) and coach Brett Brown oversaw the early Process years.Steven Falk

    Others weren’t so sold, and the phrase became divisive among Sixers fans.

    “The Process,” however, has since led to the Sixers acquiring Jaylen Brown and James during this offseason, with James even hinting during Fanatics Fest a few weeks before signing with Philly that he wanted to go somewhere that he could “trust the process.”

    Love it or hate it, “The Process” is part of the Sixers lore.

    Learn the language

    If you’re going to fit in at a Sixers game, or really any Philly sporting event, it’s important to know that it’s OK to boo. It’s even encouraged.

    This doesn’t just apply to opposing teams or bad calls by the refs, it goes for the Sixers own players, too. If a player — or the team at large — isn’t performing well, Philly fans aren’t afraid to let them hear it.

    When the Sixers are playing against the top talent from an opposing team, especially the Knicks or the Celtics, you better let them hear it as well.

    A Phillies fan boos after the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2 of the 2025 NLDS at Citizens Bank Park.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    And while being a Sixers fan doesn’t automatically mean being a fan of other Philly teams, it’s best to learn the words to the Eagles chant as well. Those aren’t resolved for Lincoln Financial Field, and more often than not, they’ll ring out at any Philly event, sports-related or not.

    It’s especially common after a loss by one of the other big four sports teams, so start studying.

    North Philly’s Dawn Staley rings the Sixers’ bell before Game 4 of a first-round playoff series against the New York Knicks in 2024.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Fast facts

    Those are some of the big things that make up the basic knowledge of a Sixers fan, but these are some other fun facts to keep in mind as well:

    • Sixers managing partner Josh Harris also owns the NFL’s Washington Commanders and the NHL’s New Jersey Devils.
    • The Sixers’ practice facility is in Camden.
    • A major series win in the playoffs, like an Eastern Conference championship, will be celebrated on Broad Street.
    • The Sixers Stixers is the official drumline of the Sixers and performs at games and events.
    • The Sixers share an arena with the Flyers, and a new arena is slated to open in 2030 that will accommodate the WNBA expansion team as well.
    • There is a pregame tradition for home games that includes local celebrities, athletes from other sports, and more ringing a Liberty Bell replica before games to fire up the arena.
  • Four more years? Agent Rich Paul thinks Sixers will ‘energize’ LeBron and could extend his career

    Four more years? Agent Rich Paul thinks Sixers will ‘energize’ LeBron and could extend his career

    LeBron James signed a two-year contract to end his career with the Sixers, but his agent and longtime friend, Rich Paul, recently suggested that it’s possible James plays for even longer.

    “I think Philadelphia’s going to energize him,” Paul told ESPN. “Maybe we get two [seasons]. Maybe we get four.”

    James, who is entering his 24th NBA season, is currently 41, and will turn 42 on Dec. 30. He will be the oldest active player in the NBA next season, but he’s far from the oldest ever.

    Rich Paul explains the Tyrese Maxey asterisk and how the Sixers learned LeBron James’ decision

    Where does LeBron rank among oldest all-time NBA players?

    James will begin the season as the ninth-oldest player in NBA history. If he completes his two season contract with the Sixers, he would retire as the fourth-oldest player in NBA history.

    The oldest player to ever play an NBA game was Nat Hickey, who played his final game on Jan. 28, 1948 at 45 years, 363 days old.

    Even if James were to play four more seasons — and retire after the 2029-30 season — he still would not claim the top spot, because of his late December birthday. But he could finish second, and would be the oldest of any modern-era NBA player.

    Draymond Green is right about VJ Edgecombe. But he couldn’t be more wrong about LeBron James. | David Murphy

    Have any grandfathers played in the NBA before?

    OK, as far as we know, Bronny James does not have a child, nor is he close to having one any time soon. But, he is 21, so it’s not completely out of the realm of possibility that, if James were to play as many as four more NBA seasons, he could become a father at some point during that span — and make LeBron a grandfather.

    So for the purposes of speculation, there has only been one previous player to play in an NBA game while also having a grandchild: Robert Parish, who became a grandfather at age 42 and went on to play another NBA season.

  • Sixers’ LeBron James passes Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani for most jersey sales after switching teams

    Sixers’ LeBron James passes Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani for most jersey sales after switching teams

    LeBron James’ 76ers merch was selling out almost as soon as the 22-time NBA All-Star decided to sign a two-year, $8 million contract with the team.

    After James shocked the sports world, choosing the Sixers over Cleveland and Miami, the future Hall of Famer’s jersey has been the highest-selling of a player joining a new team across all sports — surpassing Shohei Ohtani’s move to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023, according to Fanatics.

    The sports merchandise giant also said that within the first 24 hours after news broke, more James Sixers merchandise was sold than the first week after his announcement that he was joining the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018. This should come as no surprise, since roughly two hours after his decision, all first editions of the No. 23 jersey were sold out on the Fanatics website. The company also is selling a signed James trading card by Topps (which it acquired in 2022) and plans to release other items.

    Mitchell & Ness, which is another part of Fanatics’ portfolio, declined to give hard sales numbers on James merch.

    “However, outside of recent marquee events in our Philly market, the launch of the LeBron Witness T-shirt and all Sixers gear was one of our strongest single-day retail performances, exceeding internal expectations compared to event-driven activations like the 250th celebration, FIFA, and MLB All-Star,” said Dexter Childs, Mitchell & Ness’ manager for cultural marketing and partnerships.

    Mitchell & Ness said Thursday that its black T-shirt featuring James and a Sixers logo was back in stock and that it would be dropping more merch next week.

    Fanatics is owned by Michael Rubin, a Lafayette Hill native who previously was part-owner of the Sixers.

    Since Friday, James merchandise has accounted for eight of the top 10 selling products across all sports throughout the Fanatics network of sites, which includes NBAStore.com, SixersShop.com, and Fanatics.com.

    Inquirer staff writer Emily Bloch contributed to this article.

  • Rich Paul explains the Tyrese Maxey asterisk and how the Sixers learned LeBron James’ decision

    Rich Paul explains the Tyrese Maxey asterisk and how the Sixers learned LeBron James’ decision

    The Sixers’ leaders found out that they landed LeBron James in a group text.

    The team’s ownership, front office, and Klutch Sports client Tyrese Maxey received a four-word message from Rich Paul, Klutch CEO and James’ agent.

    “Congrats,” the text said. “Sixers it is.”

    “I didn’t have time to text everybody,” Paul said on the Game Over podcast. “I had to put them all in a group chat.”

    With LeBron James joining the Sixers, NBC Sports Philadelphia looks to staff up

    Maxey, who occasionally works out with James during the summer and is one of Klutch Sports’ key clients, played a big role in the decision. During an earlier podcast episode, in which Paul broke down potential destinations for James, he put a star next to Maxey’s name.

    “Maxey led the charge on the Sixers,” Paul said. “He was starred on there because, number one, the Sixers went through a change. It became Tyrese Maxey’s team. It’s still Tyrese Maxey’s team.

    “Additionally, there was a star beside Tyrese’s name because, the fact that I represent Tyrese, I’ve been around him for seven years now, we talk all the time. LeBron has spent time with him. I know that that’s a positive, based on the type of person.”

    When assessing potential landing spots, James and Paul broke down numerous teams and tried to identify the potential issues with each spot. Maxey’s demeanor ultimately helped the Sixers earn much more consideration.

    Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey (right) played a key role in luring James to Philly.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Paul said that Anthony Davis, who played with James on the Lakers, was an example of the type of personality that meshes well with James. Davis was unconcerned about taking the spotlight and stayed focused on his family and on basketball.

    “Same thing with Tyrese, I know that it’s a positive because he’s been around; they work out together,” Paul said. “He’s embracing the fact that, ‘Hey, if we can land this guy, I understand what comes with it, and I’m comfortable in my own skin and by the way, I want to win. I want the best chance of winning.’”

    James met with Cleveland brass in Akron, Ohio, over the summer before signing, ESPN insider Shams Charania said. While many perceived Cleveland to be the favorite going in — so much so that Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey told ESPN that his neighbors got mad at him for “taking” James — Paul said far more teams were under consideration than he discussed publicly.

    “We never really heard from the Sixers, because the Sixers never really thought there was even a chance,” Paul said. Once Jaylen Brown was traded to Philadelphia, his conversations with James about the Sixers took a total 180.

    Draymond Green is right about VJ Edgecombe. But he couldn’t be more wrong about LeBron James.

    Paul also told ESPN that he thinks the move could end with James playing for longer than just his two-year contract.

    “I think Philadelphia’s going to energize him,” Paul told ESPN. “Maybe we get two [seasons]. Maybe we get four.”

    But despite all the hype around James’ signing, Paul still doesn’t believe this makes the Sixers frontrunners for an NBA title.

    “The Sixers aren’t favorites to win it all,” Paul said. “I don’t think they are the best team in the league.”

  • Training camp is (almost) upon us. Here’s what the national media is saying about the Eagles.

    Training camp is (almost) upon us. Here’s what the national media is saying about the Eagles.

    It’s finally football season again … almost.

    Eagles rookies and veterans reported to training camp on Tuesday ahead of the first practice on Wednesday.

    It was a busy offseason for the Birds, from wide receiver A.J. Brown being traded to the New England Patriots to the hiring of offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, the drafting of wide receiver Makai Lemon, and lots of debate about where Jalen Hurts ranks among NFL quarterbacks.

    Here’s what fans and analysts are saying about the Eagles ahead of training camp’s official start:

    Hurts has something to prove

    Hurts and the offense had their first taste of the new offensive scheme during the June’s minicamp, but a lot has happened since then.

    When ESPN asked league executives, coaches, and scouts to rank NFL players, Hurts failed to make the top 10 for quarterbacks. This only led to more discourse surrounding Hurts and his place alongside the league’s quarterbacks, which has put a lot of attention on him and how he will look during training camp.

    On ESPN’s Unsportsmanlike radio show, NFL analyst and former player Jason McCourty criticized the conversations surrounding Hurts’ skill set.

    “Not only was he a Super Bowl MVP, the year they lost the Super Bowl, he was the runner-up to the MVP, to Patrick Mahomes,” McCourty said. “He’s done some amazing things in our league, and he continues to, like Nick Sirianni, just win games, but all we talk about with Jalen Hurts is what he can’t do.”

    The Eagles enter training camp with a number of intriguing storylines. We ranked their importance.

    Hurts also was ranked 56th on Jeremy Bergman’s list of top 100 players for NFL.com. This is Hurts’ lowest ranking since he debuted on the list in 2023. The only other Eagle on the list from Nos. 100 to 47 (the full list will be revealed Sept. 4) was cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, who was 47th.

    If Hurts can take a step forward this season — while navigating a new offense and the attention surrounding Brown’s trade and DeVonta Smith’s adjustment to being the top receiving option — his stock will rise, McCourty said Tuesday on ESPN’s Get Up.

    Brown’s lingering presence

    While he physically is at New England’s training camp, Brown remains be a huge presence at the Eagles’ camp at the Jefferson Health Training Complex in South Philly.

    ESPN’s Matt Bowen ranked Brown being dealt to the Patriots on June 1 as the second-most-impactful move of the offseason, behind Myles Garrett’s move to the Los Angeles Rams.

    Bowen wrote that the trade, along with the signing of Romeo Doubs, “elevated a Patriots WR room that lacked impact ability last season,” but the bigger question for the Birds is how they’ll fare without Brown.

    Wide receiver A.J. Brown was traded to the New England Patriots in June.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    With Smith seemingly poised for a much bigger role, NFL writer Kimberley Martin took to Get Up to share her expectations for Smith’s ability to replace Brown’s production.

    “As far as his mindset, the team’s mindset, yes, will they miss the production of A.J. Brown, of course, you have to account for that, but no one feels like DeVonta Smith is not that dude as well,” Martin said.

    Jalen Carter’s signing

    While much of the pre-training camp conversation has focused on the offense, Vic Fangio’s defense had some questions surrounding it regarding defensive tackle Jalen Carter and where he stands with the Eagles — until Tuesday.

    The two-time Pro Bowler signed a four-year, $152 million extension worth up to $160 million, making him the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history.

    LeBron James and nine other stars who stunned Philly simply by coming here

    The contract uncertainties surrounding Carter were expected to be a major storyline entering training camp, especially after he didn’t participate in team exercises during minicamp in June. But now, the Eagles are kicking off training camp with this resolved.

    After ESPN’s Adam Schefter broke the news, Pat McAfee commended the Eagles and Carter for getting this deal done and noted Carter’s ability to “take over any game.”

    “He fits in immediately,” McAfee said on his show. “He’s a game wrecker. Now he’s getting rewarded.”

  • From ‘Point LeBron’ to King James’ legacy, here’s what national experts are saying about the Sixers

    From ‘Point LeBron’ to King James’ legacy, here’s what national experts are saying about the Sixers

    The 76ers have had a successful offseason under new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey. They traded for Jaylen Brown earlier this month and recently signed all-time great LeBron James to a two-year, $8 million contract.

    The team’s latest additions have made the Sixers early title contenders and turned them into the center of attention. But plenty of questions still surround the team. For instance, how will James fit into the lineup? Where does his legacy stand? And who’s under the most pressure entering the season?

    Here’s everything they’re saying about James and the Sixers:

    Point LeBron?

    James is joining a team that has former league MVP Joel Embiid, rising star VJ Edgecombe, five-time All-Star Jaylen Brown, and two-time All-Star Tyrese Maxey, who has already been training with James this offseason.

    When it comes to James’ role on the team, ESPN’s Shams Charania said Philly fans can expect him to occasionally run point.

    “We’re going to be looking at some ‘Point LeBron James’ this upcoming season,” Charania said on NBA Today. “Tyrese Maxey last season played a lot on the ball at point guard … think of a better player that can set the table for Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe.”

    During the 2019-20 season, James started regularly at point guard and averaged a career high 10.2 assists and led the Lakers to their 17th NBA championship.

    And, according to NBA insider Brian Windhorst, running point was part of the pitch to get James, a 22-time All-Star, to Philly.

    “I will just say that LeBron has played point guard for every team he’s ever played,” Windhorst said on First Take. “He may not have been the starting point guard, he’s played point guard on his teams since he was 12 years old. The amount of time he has played point guard has varied, and that is what the 76ers are going to be looking at.

    “Putting LeBron at point guard for set stretches of the game fits. Also, VJ Edgecombe is a combo guard. Maxey’s a combo guard, Anfernee Simons is a combo guard. LeBron has been great with good combo guards next to him throughout his career. Mo Williams, Kyrie Irving, Austin Reaves. This makes a ton of sense, and it’s a really good insight into how the Sixers are thinking.”

    ‘LeBron is playing for a different legacy’

    James joining the Sixers may have been the biggest surprise, compared to other teams in the running, like the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers. And after joining such a stacked roster, James has been criticized for ring chasing — but NBA Hall of Famer and four-time NBA champion Shaquille O’Neal defended James against the allegations.

    “I don’t like y’all calling my man a ring chaser,” O’Neal said on The Stephen A. Smith Show. “It’s funny to me the people that don’t have rings are saying, ‘Oh, he’s a ring chaser.’ No, he’s continuance chasing. He’s chasing the chance to continue to be great, to continue to add legacy to his book.

    “You know and I know when this thing is over, it’s over. You can’t come back. Once you retire, once your body says, ‘I can’t go no more,’ it’s over. This guy feels he has two, three years left. Why not try to get another championship? I did it. I did it with Boston after I won three in a row and then won one in Miami. Hey, toward the end of my career, let me go play with Paul [Pierce] and [Kevin Garnett], be like the fourth guy. Rebound, set picks. See if I can win one. That’s what he’s doing.”

    James already has accomplished so much throughout his career: he’s the NBA’s all-time scoring leader, a four-time MVP and NBA champion, a 22-time NBA All-Star, was the 2003-04 Rookie of the Year, and has won three Olympic gold medals.

    But Charania believes he could be chasing another legacy.

    “It’s no doubt LeBron is playing for a different legacy, and the legacy being the only player in NBA history to win a championship with four different teams,” Charania said on The Stephen A. Smith Show. “And he’s playing on borrowed time. A player has never gone into the 23rd season, much less a 24th or 25th season. So it’s like he’s playing with spare change now.”

    Embiid or James under more pressure?

    Entering the season, the Sixers have high expectations. The Sixers have the third-best odds, according to DraftKings, at +900, trailing the San Antonio Spurs (+270) and the Oklahoma City Thunder (+270).

    But who will be under the most pressure: James or Embiid?

    “The most pressure is on LeBron James,” radio personality Evan Cohen said on First Take. “That’s what he signed up for. I think the least pressure is on Embiid. I think this is the lowest pressure he’s had on him all career. I don’t think there’s ever been a point in Joel Embiid’s career that he’s had less pressure. You know why? You know how many games he has to play in the regular season? Zero. If he doesn’t play a single game, it doesn’t matter. You know how many games you have to play in the postseason? Enough for them to win.”

    But O’Neal seems to disagree.

    “When I heard Philadelphia, I was like, ‘Oh, I wasn’t expecting that,’ but then when I sat down, I’m like, ‘Damn, him, Maxey, Edgecombe, Embiid, Jaylen Brown. Uh-oh, we could have something serious,’” O’Neal said. “And guess what? And guess whose shoulder it leans on? Joel Embiid. … Yeah, [he’s the one with the pressure]. Not LeBron. Not Jaylen Brown. Joel Embiid. Because you know why? Even if LeBron doesn’t win, LeBron is still one, two, or three in people’s eyes. You know that, I know that. So, Joel. Time for him to step up.”

    ‘Biggest threat to the New York Knicks’

    The New York Knicks swept the Sixers in the second round of the NBA playoffs and ultimately beat the Spurs to claim the title. Entering the 2026-27 season, the Knicks and Sixers share the same odds to win the championship (+900) on DraftKings.

    “Obviously, you have an MVP Joel Embiid, you have an up-and-coming superstar in Tyrese Maxey, and you have LeBron James, who still, on any given day, can be a top-10 player in the sport,” SiriusXM NBA host David Shepard said on the Freddie and Harry podcast. “And so because we have not had a repeat champion in the last eight years, we haven’t even had a repeat champion make it back to the NBA Finals this decade.

    “It’s going to be the 76ers as the biggest threat to the New York Knicks, as opposed to the other way around. … LeBron James is a once-in-a-lifetime athlete, and anywhere he goes, gentlemen, as you know, by Year 2, they’re NBA champions. That’s why the 76ers are the bigger threat to the Knicks than the other way around.”

  • Ex-Eagles coach Doug Pederson joins CBS in a surprising role as he eyes a return to the NFL

    Ex-Eagles coach Doug Pederson joins CBS in a surprising role as he eyes a return to the NFL

    Doug Pederson is following the well-worn path from coaching to broadcasting, but his first-ever TV gig might be a bit of a head scratcher.

    The former Eagles head coach and Super Bowl LII champ is joining CBS this season to call 10 college football games on CBS Sports Network, beginning with Maryland vs. UConn on Sept. 12.

    Outside of playing quarterback at Northeast Louisiana University, Pederson has no direct connection to the college football world. But as he made clear to CBS, his ultimate goal isn’t to have a second career as a college football analyst.

    “My goal, my passion, is to get back to the NFL,” Pederson said. “But when it’s all said and done, this is a great opportunity to get my feet wet with the broadcasting side, get some really good coaching and insight [on] how it all kind of works.”

    HBCU football is returning to the Linc this fall when Lincoln University hosts Virginia Union

    CBS certainly has plenty of NFL games, so Pederson could end up as an NFL analyst or land a role on a studio show like The NFL Today. But he could also see himself returning to the sidelines following head coaching stints with the Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars, where he spent three years before being fired following the 2024 season.

    “I’m not closing the door to coaching,” Pederson said, “But this keeps me involved and sharp and connected to the game.”

    Ex-Eagles quarterback Michael Vick turned a Fox gig into a head coaching job with Norfolk State.Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer

    He wouldn’t be the first to use broadcasting to land a coaching job. In 2022, former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton spent a season as a Fox analyst before landing a job with the Denver Broncos. Closer to home, Joe Girardi turned a role with the MLB Network into a short-lived job as the manager of the Phillies. And former Eagles quarterback Michael Vick used broadcasting as a path to becoming the head football coach at Norfolk State.

    For now, Pederson’s focus is on broadcasting. A month before the start of the college football season, Pederson doesn’t know who his play-by-play partner will be or if it’ll be the same person each week. He does know his schedule, which includes North Dakota State, Kennesaw State, and three UConn games. About the closest he’ll get to Philly is calling a University of Delaware game in Newark, Del.

    American commissioner speaks on need for structure in college athletics; Temple looks poised for success

    While this will be Pederson’s first time broadcasting games, he did travel to Los Angeles to audition with Fox, where he called a mock game alongside veteran play-by-play announcer Chris Myers. He’s also sought advice from a host of broadcasters ranging from Kirk Herbstreit to Greg McElroy — and even longtime ESPN veteran Chris Berman.

    “I understand football and how it works, and being able to describe it is a different thing,” Pederson said. “So it’s going to be a learning experience.”

    Former Eagles head coach Doug Pederson won Super Bowl LII behind the heroics of backup quarterback Nick Foles.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    After coaching high school football for four years, Pederson was hired as the Eagles offensive quality control coach in 2009 by then-head coach Andy Reid. He followed Reid to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2013, where he served as the team’s offensive coordinator for three seasons before being hired as the Eagles head coach in 2016.

    In Philly, Pederson amassed a 42-37-1 record in five seasons, but his tenure includes the Birds’ improbable championship run during the 2017 season behind backup quarterback Nick Foles. A statue celebrating Pederson and Foles for the “Philly Special” play stands outside the Linc, though it was temporarily removed during the World Cup last season.

    “They could’ve just put a soccer ball over the top if it,” Pederson joked.

  • LeBron James has been working out with Tyrese Maxey for years. Is this their first time as teammates?

    LeBron James has been working out with Tyrese Maxey for years. Is this their first time as teammates?

    LeBron James isn’t waiting to get to work with his new teammates.

    On Monday morning, basketball trainer Chris Johnson posted a slideshow of James and Tyrese Maxey working out together, which appears to be from a recent session.

    On Friday, it was announced that James would be signing a $4 million contract with the Sixers for this season, with a player option for the next. The move was officially announced by the Sixers on Monday.

    While James and Maxey will get to share the court this upcoming season, the two have a well-documented relationship off the court. The Kentucky alum is represented by Rich Paul, a longtime friend of James who built the Klutch Sports agency with LeBron as his very first client. Since getting drafted in 2020, Maxey and James have worked out together on many occasions.

    James has also thrown significant praise the 25-year-old’s way.

    “Every morning, 5 a.m., we’re in the gym, 5:30, whatever, in the gym. And you just see his dedication,” James said in January on the Mind the Game podcast, which he hosts alongside two-time MVP Steve Nash. “Shows up on time, on target, every single day. A guy who just loves the game and is taking full advantage of the opportunity in Philly.”

    There are plenty of reasons to believe that Maxey’s presence was a large factor in James signing in Philadelphia. At the onset of free agency, Paul sat with Max Kellerman on their Game Over podcast to break down James’ prospective landing spots across a whiteboard. With little information available, many fans heavily parsed every detail of the whiteboard for potential clues.

    What stood out most was that Tyrese Maxey was the only player to have a star next to his name.

    Maxey’s actions proved that James’ supposed desire to team up with the two-time All-Star was not one-sided. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Maxey and Joel Embiid were both instrumental in recruiting James.

    Following the signing, Maxey took to TikTok to express his excitement. “I’m like Coach Cal,” the caption read, referring to longtime college head coach John Calipari, who recruited Maxey to Kentucky.

  • LeBron James could live in NYC while playing for Philly. He wouldn’t be the first Sixer to do it.

    LeBron James could live in NYC while playing for Philly. He wouldn’t be the first Sixer to do it.

    LeBron James is bringing his talents to the City of Brotherly Love after signing with the Sixers on a two-year, $8 million contract, making Philly the King’s new home — kind of.

    On Monday, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said the 22-time NBA All-Star could potentially live part time in New York.

    “This whole thing is outrageous, and I don’t say that critically, I say that just from a fascinating situation,” Windhorst said on ESPN’s Get Up. “This a one-off moment in the history of the league. We’ve never seen a player ever say the following things, ‘I don’t care about money, I don’t care about my family.’

    “He doesn’t even that much apparently care about the city because he doesn’t seem like he’s going to be living in Philadelphia full time, it seems like he’s going to live at least part time in New York. So, this is a — I don’t even know how to frame it because it’s really truly unbelievable.”

    ESPN’s Shams Charania first mentioned James making the commute to Philadelphia from New York via helicopter on The Pat McAfee show on Friday after James’ decision.

    “The last step for him was just making sure his family was on board,” Shams said. “Savannah, his wife, lives in L.A. with his young daughter, Zhuri. Bronny also plays right now with the Lakers in L.A. Bryce, his youngest son, is in Arizona.

    “So, he’s going all the way to the other side of the coast. And we’ll see, will he live in Philly, will he live in Jersey, will he live in New York, will he take a chopper back and forth? We don’t know those answers yet. But, we do know he’s going to the East Coast now and that’s a big lifestyle change for LeBron James at this age of his career. And he made it very clear that it wasn’t going to be about money. And at the end of the day, it’s not.”

    James wouldn’t be the first Sixers player to make the commute from New York. His former coach J.J. Redick made the commute from his family’s home in Brooklyn to Philly during his time with the Sixers (2017-19).

    And NBA Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain primarily lived in New York during the season while regularly traveling back and forth to play with Philly while owning a night club in Harlem — giving James and Chamberlain, both four-time MVPs, even more in common.

    In his book, Wilt: Just like any other 7-foot black millionaire who lives next door, Chamberlain mentioned how the media resented him for living in New York.

    “I had missed one practice that week — just one — because I had the flu, and the press had played it up big,” Chamberlain wrote. “They had always resented my living in New York, first with the Warriors and now with the 76ers; they thought it was an insult to Philadelphia (which, I guess, it was — a richly deserved insult), and when the sportswriters had asked Dolph [Schayes] where I was that day I was sick, he had mishandled the situation, as usual.

    LeBron James will wear No. 23 with the Sixers: ‘No words to measure the impact he’ll have’

    “I had called and told him I was sick, but he just shrugged at the reporters, and said, ‘Who knows?’ The press had a field day with that —another example of the double standard I’d always been subjected to. Bill Russell missed more practices than I ever dreamed of missing, but no one ever criticized him for it; Tom Gola had lived in New York before I even joined the Warriors, but no one ever accused him of insulting Philadelphia.”

    The decision to live in New York has already ruffled some feathers for James.

    “This guy is so disgusted by the city of Philadelphia that he’s commuting in from Manhattan,” said Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy. “To quote Dick Vitale ‘Are you serious?’ … This is the biggest spit in the face to any city I’ve ever seen. … This is a dark day for Philadelphia and I’m outraged.”

    But New York’s Governor Kathy Hochul is all for it, posting “LePied-a-Terre” on social media, referencing the term pied-à-terre, which is a part-time second home in the city.

    Although James could potentially be living in the city of the New York Knicks, the team that bounced the Sixers out of the playoffs, Sixers fans should at least be happy he didn’t choose to live in this house.

    The Moorestown house formerly belonged to two Philadelphia sports stars: Ben Simmons and Nick Castellanos. And we all know how that worked out.

  • LeBron James’ agent, Rich Paul, explains why the all-time great picked the Sixers

    LeBron James’ agent, Rich Paul, explains why the all-time great picked the Sixers

    If you have been following the LeBron James’ free agency saga, you have probably tuned into or read about Game Over — a podcast hosted by James’ agent and Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul.

    It was on Game Over that Paul first confirmed the 76ers as a possible destination for the four-time NBA champion. It was on Game Over that Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment president Bob Myers made a direct pitch for James to join the Sixers. Now, it’s on Game Over that Paul — one of the closest people to James — explains James’ rationale for signing with Philadelphia.

    Here are four things we learned from Friday’s episode:

    How long has it been Philly?

    The conversation started with Game Over cohost Max Kellerman asking Paul how long James had known he was signing with the Sixers before the announcement was public.

    “He just decided on it, 100%” Paul said, adding that the competition was “pretty layered across the board.”

    How LeBron James’ career led him to Philly

    Later in the episode, Paul commented on the difficulties of the decision and said, “how hard it is to go away from a Miami and go away from a Cleveland, and who wouldn’t want to play with Steph Curry and Draymond Green?”

    From Paul’s comments, conspiracy theorists seemingly can rule out James’ previous “trust the process” comments at Fanatics Fest as confirmation that his mind was made up last week.

    What were James’ deciding factors?

    On Friday, after ESPN first reported James would be signing with the Sixers, the all-time great took to social media to release a statement. James cited the “chance at the feeling of winning another championship” as his main motivation for coming to Philadelphia.

    “I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time,” James wrote on X.

    Paul expanded on James’ reasoning on Game Over and said it was a “love for the game decision.”

    “Nobody at this level is this accomplished, this successful at life, still wanting to play the game. I don’t know what else you can say about it besides someone being very obsessed with the game of basketball,” Paul said.

    LeBron chose the hard, dramatic path when he picked the Sixers. Get ready for a wild ride, Philly. | Mike Sielski

    A big question around James’ decision was whether his family life, rooted solidly in Los Angeles, would play any role in where he landed. Paul also addressed how James’ family factored into him signing with Philadelphia.

    “Yeah the distance, that plays a huge role,” Paul said. “I think he talked about it, just being just so far away. I think it’s a testament to what his family has always meant to him and how they supported him in understanding just his love for the game.”

    What does Paul think about the basketball fit?

    James is expected to slip into the Sixers’ four spot with relative ease. Last season, wing Jaylen Brown (then with the Celtics) and point guard Tyrese Maxey finished fourth and fifth in points per game, respectively. With two ball-dominant players — and a former MVP in Joel Embiid when healthy — James could take on a complementary role at 41 years old.

    LeBron James first played in Philly as a teen and had no interest in seeing the Liberty Bell

    Paul sees James as the “secondary playmaker” on the team behind Maxey and said that “if he’s your secondary playmaker, you have the best secondary playmaker in the league.” He also sees some potential pick-and-roll action in the future for James and Maxey, similar to how James played alongside All-Star guard Kyrie Irving in Cleveland. Similarly, he feels that James can help elevate sophomore guard VJ Edgecombe’s game.

    “When you talk about a guy like VJ Edgecombe, [James] definitely helps him because when you’re so athletic, you tend to lean on that a lot.” he said. “But in VJ.’s case, really honing in and being efficient [is important]. When you add a LeBron, everything changes.”

    Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul believes that LeBron James (left) could be good for VJ Edgecombe’s development.Chris Szagola

    Did Joel Embiid’s health play a factor?

    Like any decision involving the Sixers, Embiid’s health could be a factor in James’ deliberations in signing with them. Embiid has played just 96 games in the three seasons since raising the MVP trophy. However, Paul seemed optimistic about the big man’s current status.

    “I don’t want to be too hard on Embiid, but you have to think about all those things,” Paul said. “And from my understanding, Embiid is doing a hell of a job this summer. It’s the first summer he’s actually been healthy, not having some type of surgery over the summer, which is always good. And, look, anybody knows if Embiid is your best player on the team, you’re a really good team. If he’s your second-best player on the team, you’re an unbelievably good team. If he’s your third-best player on the team, this is basically the U.S. [team].