Earlier this week, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that every team in the race for LeBron James has sent a pitch to his agent, Rich Paul. The Philadelphia 76ers are known to have made quite a few pitches.
As James weighs his decision, ESPN's Brian Windhorst revealed what could be viewed as an underrated advantage for the 76ers.
On the latest episode of 'The Hoop Collective,' Windhorst wondered if the Boston Celtics made a pitch to LeBron. His thinking-out-loud came off as joking because the insider revealed that LeBron doesn't have any love for the Celtics.
Do the 76ers have another underrated advantage?
"I should find out if Boston did [reach out]. I think Boston would rank 30th on his list. I really, honestly do. He hates Boston," Windhorst said.
If LeBron's hate for Boston is that strong, then the Sixers have another pro to add to their list of reasons why they are the perfect landing spot for the veteran forward.
Sure, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat are in the same conference and have their own reasons to dislike the Celtics, but in Philly, Boston is a division rival. Plus, Celtics-Sixers will hold more weight in 2026-2027 after their recent blockbuster.
Jaylen Brown was traded by the Celtics after the best season of his career. Missing Jayson Tatum for most of the 2025-2026 NBA season, Brown made the "Celtics are in a gap year" takes look laughable. How was he repaid? Getting sent to their division rival for Paul George and draft compensation without warning.
You can bet Brown's going to want his revenge four times next season. James could add another layer to that if he truly hates the Celtics as much as Windhorst suggests.
Being in the NBA since 2003--and playing most of his career in the East--LeBron has faced the Celtics many times. Overall, he has a 34-28 record against Boston.
While the Sixers have recently found success against the Celtics during the 2026 NBA Playoffs, they have struggled against Boston a ton during the Joel Embiid era.
Where do the 76ers stand in the LeBron race?
The NBA world has been guessing LeBron's next destination a lot, but nobody can be sure.
When free agency initially started, LeBron seemed likely to land with the Golden State Warriors. Shortly after, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat swooped in. The Sixers didn't take long to get involved as well.
At this point, the Sixers, Cavaliers, Heat, and the Warriors are the most frequently linked to LeBron.
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