LeBron And More

29 Jul 2026

Hear it here!

My sports mind works in funny ways.

When LeBron James made his decision who to play for last week. Instead of retiring, here’s where my thoughts traveled.

Hang in there with me.

LeBron James has been the latest, greatest of all time player in the NBA player but is he truly the GOAT? That’s up for debate.

There is no questioning the remarkable resume that LeBron carries. He’s the leagues all-time leading scorer, has won 4 NBA championships, he’s been to the Finals 10 times, including 8 consecutive appearances. 3 Olympic gold medals and last season put up impressive numbers in his 23rd season as a pro. He’s won championships everywhere he’s been, including two separate tours with the Cleveland Cavaliers, back-to-back titles with the Miami Heat, and one with the LA Lakers who he is now leaving.

After taking some time, he’s decided to cast his lot with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Now here’s where things get interesting.

No pro league has had more franchise moves than the NBA in its history. And that includes the 76ers. Does anybody remember who they were before they were the 76ers?

The answer is the Syracuse Nationals, known as the Nats. The original Philadelphia team, known as the Warriors, moved to San Francisco and are now known as the Golden State Warriors.

As an aside, I was always amused at why certain franchises kept their nicknames when they moved instead of adopting new names that actually fit with the region. The Minneapolis Lakers were a dominant team which ultimately transferred to Los Angeles.

We know Minnesota is the Land of 10,000 lakes. But was that the best nickname for a team in Los Angeles?

How about the Utah Jazz? Not sure that name works for a team playing in Salt Lake City.

It does for the New Orleans Jazz who were the team that departed to go west.

In any event, LeBron now takes his brand from LA to Philly where he is hoping to lead his new team to what has been an elusive NBA crown. How elusive?

The Philadelphia 76ers have not been NBA champions since 1983. That’s 43 years if you’re keeping score. One of the finest college basketball coaches ever, Jay Wright, a native Philadelphian, who led Villanova to a pair of NCAA titles is all for the arrival of James.

Wright says LeBron will lead the Sixers to the promised land just as Dr J, Julius Erving did when the 76ers acquired the Doc back in 1976. The only problem with that is Julius Erving was 26 when he joined the team and it took the franchise seven years before they finally won.

The final piece of the puzzle was the addition of Hall of Fame center Moses Malone. The Sixers finally won it all in Malone’s first season in 1983.

The elephant in the room in regards to LeBron is that he will turn 42 before the end of 2026.

I see LeBron James as the Aaron Rodgers of the NBA. Both are all-time greats, both headed for first-year Hall of Fame selections, both who have stayed too long at the dance.

They are reluctant to get off the stage.

Father Time catches up to all athletes and it’s caught up with James as it has for Rodgers.

The Steelers have been finding this out and will again this season.

The 76ers have an impressive roster but I believe the addition of LeBron with his diminishing skills doesn’t help their cause. I think it works the other way. It adds problems of playing time, and chemistry, among other issues.

As for the burning question of who is the greatest of all-time, I’ll go with Michael Jordan.

Of course there’s been an all-time greatest in every era, and both MJ and LeBron have phenomenal achievements in their careers.

I’ve never been a guy who lives and dies by statistics.

But LeBron has won four NBA championships in ten tries.

Michael Jordan was a perfect six championships in six trips to the Finals, all with the Chicago Bulls. And none of them went the full seven games.

So I’ll give the nod to Jordan. Just one man’s opinion.