Did you expect LeBron to choose Philly after his Lakers exit? When he announced last spring he wouldn’t re‑sign with LA, many pictured a Cleveland finale. Yet he stunned fans by signing with the Sixers, a decision he explained Thursday after his new squad erased a 29‑point hole to beat the Cavaliers, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reports in a subscriber‑only story.
Fedor notes that James’ representative, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, confirmed the Cavs were the sole franchise James met in July during his 25‑day free‑agent hunt. They dispatched a delegation to his home, featuring basketball ops president Koby Altman, business VP Grant Gilbert and newly appointed GM Brandon Weems—a childhood friend of James—to lay out what it would take to bring him back.
“The nature of the meeting, I probably won’t discuss much, but it was consideration for sure,” James told reporters after Thursday’s game. “I mean, that’s a team trying to build toward the 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 whatever the case may be, the next step, and there was a lot of consideration for sure.”
Cleveland and Philadelphia topped James’ shortlist, alongside Minnesota, Miami and Golden State. Fedor reveals that several Cavs insiders sensed a homecoming tilt, including Donovan Mitchell, who took part in the recruitment push.
Mitchell confessed at media day that he was shocked by James’ Philadelphia choice, noting he’d have expected the Warriors if James didn’t return to Cleveland.
James later tweeted, “Northeast Ohio will always [be] home!” after announcing his decision.
After the James miss, Cleveland reshaped its offseason, bringing Mario Hezonja back to the NBA after six EuroLeague years and acquiring Peyton Watson to plug a small‑forward gap.
Before Thursday’s matchup, coach Kenny Atkinson spoke to reporters about the roller‑coaster pursuit of James.
“You’re anticipating. You’re excited. You’re expecting something to happen, and it doesn’t happen and that first day or two you’re just like depressed, quite honestly,” he said. “That’s the emotions of it. I loved how quickly we switched gears and the push to get Peyton in the fold and everything we had to do to do that. It was a complicated maneuver. Dan Gilbert and Koby, they’re aggressive. They don’t stand pat. We take risks. We take swings. It was a great switch to what was a tough blow for us in the beginning.” Can the Cavs’ new moves keep them competitive next season?