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LeBron James Reportedly Passed on a $20 Million, One-Year Clippers Deal to Come to Philly Instead
By Matt Schultz
Published:
Dave McMenamin’s piece on LeBron’s Sixers decision has a ton of great tidbits in it, and one that I think is worth spending some time thinking about is this:
“The LA Clippers even discussed a lucrative one-season contract north of $20 million that would allow him to stay at his Brentwood, California, home, sources said.”
It goes without saying that LeBron really wanted to play for the Sixers. He wouldn’t have signed with Philly otherwise. But the more we learn about what other options he had in free agency, the more incredible and unlikely it feels that he actually landed here.
By all accounts, the other teams in the running were Cleveland, Miami, and Golden State. I’d argue the Sixers offered him a much better basketball situation than all of them, but probably a less-convenient living situation. Cleveland is home, he spent four years in Miami, and Golden State has a bunch of his buddies living there. So him choosing Philly over all those spots was already pretty nuts.
But learning that LeBron could’ve played for the Clippers – who A) would’ve paid him $20 million and B) would’ve allowed him to keep living in his own house – and still said no takes the whole thing to another level.
The $20 million is one thing. I’m impressed he took less money, for sure, but the wildest thing of all here – and I cannot stress this enough – is that he voluntarily chose to move when he didn’t have to. That’s the key takeaway. That’s insane. Think about that. Think about how shitty it is to move. Pretend you’re the one who has to move right now. Think of all the stuff you’d have to do…
You gotta pack up a bunch of stuff. You gotta find boxes. You gotta organize clothes. You fold them and make piles on the bed and then move the piles to different spots around the room until you forget which piles are staying and which are going. You gotta make sure you have all your chargers. Plus shoes. Toothbrush. Squatty Potty. Shower stuff. Hats. You gotta find a way to pack your hats up without crushing them. Retainer. Glasses. Contact lens. Extra contact lenses. Contact lens case…
Then there’s kitchen stuff. Cups. Plates. Forks. Need a bigger box for this stuff. Also need a Sharpie to write “Kitchen Stuff” on that box so it doesn’t get mixed up. Deodorant. Don’t forget deodorant. You just remembered that and don’t want to forget it. So now you gotta circle back to the bathroom stuff and pack deodorant. Nail clippers, too, while you’re in the bathroom. A comb. Maybe two. And just like that, you’re back to doing toiletries. The kitchen was barely started. You’re going backwards…
And all that is just the small stuff. Think about all the huge stuff you gotta figure out. TV. Chair. Probably a bunch of those. Couch. A comfortable couch. Blinds. A lot of new houses don’t have blinds when you get there. Gotta call a blinds guy to install them. Sometimes they can’t get out to your house for a few days. Sometimes it’s busy season for the blinds guys. For those few days without blinds, you’re gonna get blasted with sunlight. Then at night, everyone can see right in your window… You’re vulnerable… You must stay low while indecent…
Let’s say you buy/rent a place that’s already furnished, fine – even then, there are still small logistics things you never think of until it’s too late and you’re already at the new spot and you’re pissed off. Internet. Cable. You gotta call a guy and have him come out and set all that up. Bring you that internet box. You gotta have the place cleaned because a bunch of realtors were walking around inside with their shoes on. You gotta unpack all that stuff you brought, plus find a place where everything goes. Electric. Gotta turn that on. That’s not just on all the time. You gotta call PECO or whatever to have them do it. How about the water? Gotta get that turned on too. What days does the trash go out? What kind of trashcans do you need? What’s the deal with recycling? Do you recycle cardboard here or is it considered trash? How about leaf disposal? Can you burn them in this county or do they go out to the corner in big brown paper bags that always feel like they’re about to tip over and make a huge mess?
What about the fridge? There’s nothing in there. You gotta go grocery shopping. Where do you even do that? Who knows? You just moved here. You gotta find a whole new system now. A whole new mental map of where you go to do/get things. A whole new way of life… Supermarket. Barber shop. Gym. Gas station. And on and on it goes…
The mental toll is enormous. It’s always worse than you think it’s gonna be. You don’t really feel normal again after moving for at least two weeks, sometimes three weeks to a month. And LeBron could’ve skipped all of this…
But no. LeBron wanted to play for the Sixers so badly that he’s willing to go through the hell of moving to do it. It’s incredible. I was already honored that LeBron wanted to come play in Philly, but now my respect for him couldn’t be higher. Thank you, LeBron. Thank you. Hope moving goes okay. Glad I’m not moving.
Matt Schultz is a comedy and sports writer from Philadelphia. He’s written extensively for ClickHole, The Onion, and Conan O’Brien’s Team Coco. His work has been featured in Vulture, Deadspin, The A.V. Club, Paste Magazine, and other publications. Much of his sports journalism can be found on college basketball websites that don’t exist anymore (PhilaHoops Heads rise up…) email: M.Schultz@sportradar.com