‘It Was In Consideration For Sure’: LeBron James Admits He Almost Signed With Cleveland Cavaliers Instead Of Philadelphia 76ers
PHILADELPHIA — After the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday (10/22), LeBron James told reporters that he almost signed with the Cavaliers instead of the 76ers.
James is the greatest player in Cavaliers franchise history. He has played for the organization twice and was born and raised in Akron, Ohio.
“The nature of the meeting, I probably won’t discuss much,” James said. “But it was in consideration for sure. I mean, obviously as a team trying to build towards a championship and things of that nature, I was trying to decide where I wanted to go with the rest of my career, to finish my career or the next step. So they had a lot of consideration for sure.”
James signed a two-year deal with the 76ers this offseason. Philadelphia beat the New York Knicks on opening night, then defeated Cleveland in its home opener.
The 76ers were down 29 points to the Cavaliers at one point on Thursday. James and Co. wound up winning by a final score of 114-106.
LeBron Met With Cavaliers’ Brass At His Akron Home
Shams Charania of ESPN reported in July that James met with Cleveland’s brass at his Akron home this offseason.
The Cavaliers were the only team James granted an in-person meeting with during free agency.
“I’m told that LeBron met with a Cavs brass in his home in Akron, Ohio,” Charania said. “That brass consisted of VP of Business Grant Gilbert, President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman, assistant general manager Brandon Weems. And these two sides, it was just these four in this room. They sat together, talked about his basketball legacy, what a reunion, a third stint in Cleveland would look like.
“And of course, anytime you’re talking about LeBron going back to Cleveland, I think giving that meeting, granting that meeting to them, a lot of it more than anything was respect for the organization. We know about his history there, led them to a championship for the first time in 50 years. He’s a hometown kid, hometown team. He wanted to do right by the Cavs, more than even the Sixers or the Heat, by giving them that meeting. Of course he ends up deciding on the Sixers.”
James won two MVPs and one Finals MVP and made 10 All-Star teams and 10 All-NBA teams with his hometown club. His No. 23 jersey will get retired by Cleveland one day.
The Cavaliers beat the 73-9 Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals. The 2015-16 Cleveland team is the only squad in NBA history to erase a 3-1 series deficit in the NBA Finals.
Cavs Coach Depressed When LeBron Deal Fell Through
Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson said before Thursday’s game that he was depressed when James signed with the 76ers.
Atkinson thought James would come home for the final chapter of his NBA career.
“We were anticipating and excited and then you have that [news],” Atkinson said. “Having gone through free agency a lot, when you’re expecting something to happen and it doesn’t happen, that first day or two, you’re just like, you’re depressed quite honestly. That’s the emotions of it.”
James, 41, is averaging 15.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game this season.
The Cavaliers host the 76ers on November 6.
