Jaylen Brown may have been why James joined, but it's really the work he puts in on the court that stands out.
Everyone knows by now that LeBron James' decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers was based on how they handled the offseason. The trade for Jaylen Brown was probably the biggest move that gave James the green light to go to the city of Philadelphia.
When talking about the decision to go to Philadelphia on the Mind the Game podcast with Steve Nash, James explained that while this was a big reason for him going, it wasn’t the only reason. James had been watching Brown over the years and loved the kind of player and person he is.
“I love the way he approaches the game too. Both sides of the floor, what he brings to the game, is his insight into the game. I love what he stands for and what he brings to the table," said James.
James understood that Brown is a special kind of player and that he could be a huge asset to this team in more ways than one. When Brown and James got together for some workouts, that’s when it came to fruition; that's what they could do on the court together could be special.
Most know that Brown moves to the beat of his own drum, and that’s perfectly okay for James. Truthfully, those are the kind of guys you want to have with you. It also helped that Brown knows what it takes to win. James even acknowledges that he and Brown will be the voice of reason in terms of doing the little things to help them get through some of the rough patches they’ll be sure to encounter during the season.
James mentioned that they’ve both been through the “foxhole," which is the NBA Playoffs, and it’s going to be that kind of knowledge that Brown can pass down along with James. It’s going to be something new for James as well. When he joins a team, he's usually the biggest voice in the room. Not only that, but he’s also the only one that knows what it takes to get to an NBA Finals.
What Brown can do for this team will be a big change to what they’re used to. He’s going to bring a new level of intensity that this team hasn’t seen before. It’s just that simple. Brown may be soft-spoken at times, but he knows how to command the floor when the team needs him the most. Which is exactly why James felt comfortable coming to the 76ers.
Brown as a two-way player provides James with some kind of relief and helps him focus on other tasks in the game. When these two get together, it’s going to be a masterpiece as they work with one another to lead this team to an NBA championship.
