Philadelphia 76ers: 5 reasons to go all in on LeBron James
By Bret Stuter
2. Mentor and legacy
The ties between LeBron James and Philadelphia 76ers wunderkind Ben Simmons are well documented, but the entire team is bursting with raw, unbridled, youthful talent. The presence of superstar LeBron James automatically upgrades that team’s psyche.
That is not to say this team is short on confidence, nor is it to say the Sixers don’t know what to do in crunch time. But they need more than whiteboard plays. In the playoffs, coaching can only take a team so far. Past a certain point, it falls upon the players to get creative, outplay, outmuscle, or simply outclass their opponents. LeBron not only delivers that, but his is the type of play that inspires teammates to meet him at that level.
Beyond the here and now, there is also that unspoken rule of immortaility. Setting records in sports affords players the knowledge that their impact to the sport will live on beyond them. Right now, LeBron James has earned the right to be considered among the NBA’s best.
But what act remains that could punctuate his NBA career at the top? One exclamation point would certainly be to earn an NBA championship with his third team. Despite all the social media bantering of other teams, the Philadelphia 76ers offer LeBron one of the most solid opportunities to compete for titles for the remainder of his NBA career. To secure his position in history and bolster his GOAT argument, he needs to win just one championship wearing a Sixers jersey.