The Miami Heat could have offered LeBron James twice the amount he took from the Philadelphia 76ers
The biggest news of the weekend in sports was LeBron James choosing to leave the Los Angeles Lakers to play for the Philadelphia 76ers.
James basically picked the winters in Philly over the sandy beaches in Los Angeles. If that wasn't enough, he selected cheese steaks also instead of the Cuban sandwiches had he chosen the Miami Heat.
The decision came as a surprise to many Heat fans. After weeks of hearing James reportedly favored returning to Miami for another at a championship, he threw a curveball by signing with the 76ers.
What makes it even more baffling is the money situation. The Heat could have offered twice the pay of the two-year, $8 million deal he signed with the Sixers. Again, this is LeBron James we are talking about it. He's among the few billionaire athletes, so a few extra dollars in his pockets means nothing to him.
This was more about James wanting to cement himself among the all-time greats. Not that he isn't already there, but it seems he wants to add another Larry O'Brien Trophy to his mantle. This was James' way of saying the Sixers are better equipped to win a title than the Heat.
And let's be honest, they probably are for now.
Look at the lineup the Sixers will throw out on a nightly basis barring injuries. Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe in the backcourt. Then you have James, Joel Embiid and Jaylen Brown in the frontcourt.
That's basically an All-Star player or future Hall of Famer at every position. The Heat could only counter with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo while offering mostly unproven players at the other spots. Sure, Nikola Jovic and Pelle Larsson have plenty of time to develop but James isn't in a position where he can't.
He has to win, and he has to do it soon. Even though he has successfully fought Father Time was so many years, at some point he will lose this battle.
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Shandel Richardson is the publisher of HeatRoundtable. He can be reached at [email protected]
