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Just Trying to Wrap My Head Around LeBron James Taking the Veteran Minimum to Join the Sixers
Published:
Shams with some more on LeBron:
“He made it very clear from the beginning – I wanna compete for a championship. I want to win at at a high level. This is not a money-driven decision. That’s what LeBron James made very clear from the outset of this process, when he decided to leave the Lakers on June 30th. So now a month later, he was going to have to put his money where his mouth is. Today, what I see most from this decision, is he is choosing that the Sixers give him the best chance to win a championship. It’s not about legacy of going back to Cleveland. It’s not about going back to Miami, where he also played. Those were legacy plays with a chance to win a championship, right? But how do you give yourself the best chance? He feels joining the Sixers, it’s about winning, it’s about competing… He made it very clear it wasn’t going to be about money, and at the end of the day, it’s not. He’s signing for the lowest possible amount, the veteran-minimum contract, at the age of 41 going into his 24th NBA season. And my understanding is there’s a real chance he plays both of these years.
Incredible. LeBron signing in Philly for the veteran minimum. In 2026. Because the Sixers have an appealing, championship-caliber roster that was put together, in part, by a first-year President of Basketball Operations who has never been a POBO before.
It makes no sense. He could have taken more money to go somewhere else, maybe go on a final year retirement-type of tour and collect one final paycheck. But he decided to join a Sixers team that looked dead in the water just two seasons ago, after 24 wins.
The only thing that can derail this campaign is injuries. Get Dr. Glashow an office at the Sixers practice facility. Hire him full-time to manage Joel Embiid’s body. Whatever it takes.
WE’RE GOING ALL THE WAY!
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com