LeBron James will make his official Sixers debut on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, the same night the New York Knicks will raise their banner and receive rings for winning their first championship since 1973. They didn't need LeBron—or another superstar like him—to help them get there. They found their own in Jalen Brunson. But even then, the James chatter continues.
We know LeBron "envisioned" joining the Knicks in free agency this summer. We know that he lives in New York City and takes a helicopter back and forth to Philadelphia. And now, we know that, according to Brian Windhorst, James wanted the organization to draft him in 2003, as the insider said on his podcast:
“There was this dream, and in fact, it was kind of LeBron's dream too. Literally, the night before he agreed to his Nike contract, in his Nike contract he got a 20 or 30% bonus if he got drafted to the Knicks. They agreed to that the night before the lottery. That’s why it was so important to get it done before the lottery. And when the envelope opened and showed the Knicks at number nine, there was an audible in the room because people wanted LeBron to go to the Knicks.”
If you didn't know any better, you would think LeBron never had a real chance to join New York and that, entering his 24th season, he was still chasing that dream. Let's not forget that he could've signed with the team as a free agent in 2010, but he chose the Heat instead.
Can anyone blame him for that? Absolutely not. But after years of trolling Knicks fans, LeBron who is standing on the outside looking in, watching New York celebrate the success it chased for so long, and because he wasn't part of it, we keep hearing about it.
Enough with LeBron and the Knicks
Given who he is, it made sense for the Knicks to emerge as a potential free-agent destination for James, giving his career a storybook ending. But LeBron made it sound like he turned down the idea of joining the Knicks after they won the title because of how the move would be perceived, but in reality, it doesn't seem like they were ever interested in pursuing him.
If they were, you'd think he would be preparing to make his debut with the Knicks, helping them go back-to-back. He has nothing left to prove, so going to New York wouldn't have hurt his legacy. It's not like it's 2016 and he's Kevin Durant, leaving the Thunder for the Warriors.
LeBron signing with New York would've been far less shocking than his decision to sign with Philadelphia. Even more so, since he joined the Sixers, it feels like we've heard more about his desire to be a Knick than about where he is now. Or, more like, where he works, since he lives in NYC.
You'd think that LeBron's destiny was to play for the Knicks, and who knows, maybe that will still come true (never say never?), even if you don't want it to. But enough of hearing about how he wanted to be in New York at different points throughout his career. He could've made that dream (if it actually was one) a reality if he really wanted to.
It took a while, but the Knicks finally achieved the success fans craved without LeBron's help, making it even more special after years of chasing after stars like him (and failing). So, excuse fans if they don't care to hear that playing in New York has apparently been his lifelong dream.
Add us as a preferred source on Google