The Process Ends with LeBron James
The odd sensation of feeling good about the Philadelphia 76ers
Tony Wroten. Lavoy Allen. Michael Carter-Williams. Nerlens Noel. K.J. McDaniels. Henry Sims. Isaiah Canaan. Robert Covington. JaKarr Sampson. Tim Frazier. Richaun Holmes. Jerami Grant. Nik Stauskas. Elton Brand. Hollis Thompson. Jahlil Okafor being benched for no reason. Sergio Rodriguez. T.J. McConnell. Ersan Ilyasova. Justin Anderson. Jerryd Bayless. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot. Ben Simmons. Marco Bellinelli. Markelle Fultz’s shooting arm. Mikal Bridges being traded in front of his mom. Zhaire Smith’s peanut allergy. The Homie Dario. Amir Johnson. James Ennis III. Shake Milton. Tobias Harris over Jimmy Butler. Al Horford for some reason. Raul Neto. Jaden Springer. J.J. Redick. Landry Shamet. Seth Curry. James Harden.
The Process was built around the promise that years of pain, underperformance, and a lack of talent would eventually result in acquiring the type of elite players who could bring a championship to the city of Philadelphia. As Sam Hinkie said in his resignation letter, “If you want to have real success you have to be very often willing to do something different from the herd.” Turns out Sam was foreshadowing a real bummer for one of the most dysfunctional franchises in basketball.
At a time when the sun revolved around superstars, the Sixers hitched their wagon to acquiring the wealth of resources they needed to go star hunting. But those years of pain and underperformance turned into more years of pain and underperformance. From our general manager using his burner account to trash his own players before blaming the whole thing on his wife to the four fortuitous bounces of Kawhi Leonard’s game-winning shot in the 2019 Eastern Conference Semis.
Being a Sixers fan meant expecting the worst. Heartbreak adds up. Disappointment compounds. The team’s 3-1 comeback against the Boston Celtics this past postseason gave Sixers fans a reason to believe. And a reason to believe is a dangerous thing. For once, the team exceeded expectations against a hated rival we haven’t beaten since E.T. dropped in movie theaters.
The city was electric. We stood on the shoulders of a 7-foot Cameroonian giant and tossed both middle fingers up at Boston. Joel pushed his body to the brink and carried this team past the finish line on one leg. We witnessed the arrival of Tyrese Maxey, and saw a turbocharged babyface point guard turn into an assassin before our eyes.
But the good vibes were short-lived, as they usually are. The Sixers were immediately deleted by the New York Knickerbocker buzzsaw. They beat us down without blinking an eye, filled our arenas with their fans, and rode that momentum all the way to the championship. Ownership didn’t really seem to care. Same old, same old.
The Sixers were dead in the water. As fans, we had no hope. The Knicks series showed that the compounding disappointment over the years calcified into fan disengagement. The Sixers broke our hearts too many times. They were stuck in no-man’s land due to the contracts of two aging superstars. We began talking ourselves into the potential of another year of the Embiid-Maxy-George-Edgecombe core. Maybe if they can stay healthy. Maybe if V.J. takes the leap. Maybe I’ll just focus on the Eagles instead.
On top of that, Daryl Morey was fired for failing to build a team that could make it past the second round of the playoffs. The Sixers gave decorated former Golden State Warriors General Manager Bob Myers the wheel, and he hired Mike Gansey, some guy who looks kind of like Chase Utley, to run the team.
But then something happened. The entropy of the league and the savviness of our new Chase Utley look-alike brought the Philadelphia 76ers Finals MVP Jaylen Brown. Managing to acquire Brown while trading away Paul George’s contract is enough to get a statue in front of the Art Museum. The Sixers did something good, and it was confusing. Little did we know the good times would keep on rolling. After weeks of flirting with the idea (and many podcast episodes involving LeBron’s agent Rich Paul and a whiteboard), the greatest basketball player of all-time chose this city and this roster to finish out his career.
Good things never happen to the Philadelphia 76ers. At least they haven’t for most of my life. I watched Allen Iverson beat the Lakers in the 2001 Finals before being stomped out the next 4 games. I still have PTSD from the Kawhi bounce. Being in a position to convince the 2nd-leading scorer of all-time to join our team feels insane. It’s unheard of. Like a dream that could be snatched away by the jaws of reality at any moment. After years of The Process, years of heartache and disappointment, we’ve finally reached the best Sixers team of my lifetime.
LeBron James is coming to South Philly. We’re a city with a historical aversion to kings, but in this case we’ll make an exception. Despite the gray hairs winning the battle of LeBron’s beard, James is still a top player in the NBA. He’s a lethal addition to a championship-caliber roster who is single-handedly capable of shifting the outcome of a game at will through otherworldly athleticism and basketball genius. He is who The Process was built for. The ultimate co-star for an already stacked ensemble. And best of all, he doesn’t need to be The Guy.
For years, the weight of The Process and all of its expectations was placed on Joel Embiid. The sheer gravity of those expectations took its toll on his body and mind. But now with the development of Tyrese Maxey into a true superstar, the raw potential of V.J. Edgecombe, the accolades of Jaylen Brown, and the basketball genius of LeBron James, Embiid doesn’t have to shoulder the load like he once did.
The Sixers immediately become the best starting five LeBron has ever played with. Despite being hobbled by injuries, Joel Embiid is hands-down the most talented big LeBron has ever played with. Despite the bumps and bruises, Joel is still a world-destroyer. LeBron’s impact on the continued development of V.J. Edgecombe could have a monumental impact on the second-year player’s career. The addition of Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, what’s left of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and rookie scorcher LaBaron Philon gives the Sixers a solid amount of depth. There’s a lot to figure out in terms of fit on the court, usage rates, and all of the other things the regular season is for. But for the first time in a long time, the Sixers have a complete team.
Team construction aside, LeBron bringing his talents to South Philly will have a ripple effect on this city. His arrival is giving hope to a fanbase deeply in need of some. A fanbase who, before this summer, became disengaged with the culture of a team steeped in disappointment with ownership who didn’t seem to care much about the fans at all.
But LeBron James is one of the few people in the world who can stop time. He can shift fortunes both on and off the basketball court. He can help bring that change. His impact will be felt on Philadelphia fandom, culture, and economy. The City of Brotherly Love has been clamoring for the Sixers to parade down Broad Street, Larry O’Brien Trophy in hand. A dream deferred but now suddenly within the realm of possibility.
No matter the pain and disappointment and heartbreak, they are a team that we can’t quit. And now we’re feeling the unfamiliar sensations of hope, the trepidation of getting carried away, the cautiousness of excitement. It feels weird to be this stoked on the Sixers. But when it comes to being a fan, getting carried away is the point.
The Process was always meant to get here. There’s a lot to figure out on the court. But for the first time in a very long time, it feels good to be a Sixers fan.
“Being in a position to convince the 2nd-leading scorer of all-time to join our team feels insane.”
Kareem? 😄
This is a story of hope but reading those mentions of the quad bounce brought back pain I didn’t need this early on a Sunday 😭