Hear us out, LeBron: Philly's last-ditch pitch for you to join the Sixers
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Hey, LeBron. Come dap up Tyrese. Photo: Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images
Dear LeBron: Philly is on LeJawn watch.
Why it matters: Imagine "King James" in the Sixers' backcourt. They'd no longer be a court jester, but a legit championship contender.
State of play: We've reached the point where every cryptic quote, every social media post and every anonymous report has us looking like Charlie Kelly standing in front of the "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" Pepe Silvia conspiracy board.
Zoom in: We get it. You're a very, very smart man — you basically called Kobe's 81-point masterpiece before it happened.
- And you've got to "trust the process" when writing this last chapter of your storied career.
Yes, but: We need you to stop breadcrumbing us, LeBron.
- Did you already make a backroom deal to sign with Miami? Before walking back their "accident," the Heat seemed certain you were taking your talents back to South Beach.
In your old stomping grounds in Cleveland, James Harden is waiting on you to figure out your next move before he renegotiates his contract.
- Look, we'd love to see Harden — who once famously refused to ever again play for the Sixers — indefinitely put on ice.
- But our need for clarity outweighs any hard feelings.
The intrigue: So here's our last-ditch pitch: Finish "The Process" in Philly.
- There's something poetic about delivering a championship to a city that's waited more than four decades — and being immortalized by arguably the toughest fan base in America.
Reality check: We understand your concerns.
- Injury-prone Joel Embiid's balky knees aren't getting any better. But when he's healthy, he's one of the league's best centers.
- You might even let him in on your legendary recovery routine.
Think about how fun your last run could be, hanging out with good friend Tyrese Maxey.
- Jaylen Brown already has you on speed dial.
The other side: Sure, it's tempting to join forces with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo in what would surely become Miami's new Big 3.
- But that's something younger LeBron did. Stacking the deck is too easy, as you, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh proved last time.
What they're saying: Remember when you said you love putting yourself in uncomfortable situations?
- Going home to Cleveland is too comfortable.
The bottom line: You know what's uncomfortable?
- Waiting on you to make the best decision of your life. By the way, we're running out of red string!