27 teams pursued LeBron James: Agent reveals behind-the-scenes details
According to ESPN, 27 teams courted LeBron James, including rivals Boston and the Clippers. Rich Paul suggests Philadelphia could extend the star's career until age 45.
ESPN published an extensive report this Wednesday regarding the behind-the-scenes process of LeBron James' decision, who ultimately chose Philadelphia as his next destination after lengthy deliberations.
His agent, Rich Paul, engaged with no fewer than 27 different teams in recent weeks before narrowing the list to five: Philadelphia, Cleveland, Miami, Golden State, and Minnesota. Boston, one of James' primary rivals over the years, also courted him, as did the Los Angeles Clippers, who were prepared to offer a contract worth 20 million dollars per season (compared to 8 million dollars over two years with the Sixers).
The choice fell on Philadelphia — a team that was not on his radar at all prior to the addition of Jaylen Brown.
"It has to do with the fact that LeBron really thought: 'Where do I have the best chance to dedicate every minute of every day to contributing to winning a championship?'" said a source familiar with the details. "One of the things that made the Sixers attractive was how passionate the fan base is, and how much time has passed since they won a championship."
Sixers executive Mike Ganse, who knows LeBron well from their time in Ohio, recounted the moment he secured the star: "I told my wife, 'Honey, we just got LeBron.' She was shocked. I walked around the neighborhood for two hours, and neighbors looked at me as if to say, 'What the hell? You got him!'"
Paul was also quoted in the article suggesting that the 41-year-old star might play until age 45:
"I think Philadelphia will recharge him with energy. Maybe we'll get two years. Maybe we'll get four."
