Twelve years ago, at the start of NBA free agency, Joel Embiid tweeted at LeBron James, just days after he was drafted, asking him if he wanted to join the Philadelphia Sixers. He ended up choosing the Cavaliers instead, but this time around, he finally saw the light and signed a two-year, $8 million deal with Philly.
@KingJames hey bro hope you're having a good day...... Want to join us in philly?? Peace
— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) July 1, 2014
It took a lot longer than Embiid thought it would, but after all this time, the center is still in Philadelphia and will finally get to be teammates with LeBron on an NBA team. If both of them have it their way, it will end how their time in Paris did in the 2024 Olympics: with a trophy.
The Sixers' odds of doing that increased once ESPN's Shams Charania broke the news that LeBron chose Philadelphia. Even before that, the team had already had a great offseason, headlined by trading for Jaylen Brown.
Embiid will have the best shot he's ever had at helping lead Philadelphia to the place fans have waited decades to return to. It's been a long time coming for him, too, as he's waited over a decade himself.
Yes, LeBron James is joining Joel Embiid in Philly
Embiid and Philadelphia have dealt with more than their fair share of disappointment over the years, from the Ben Simmons saga to the James Harden trade to the Paul George signing. It's not like there haven't been good things that have come out over that time, since Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe exist. Still, the Sixers couldn't get over the hump.
If there is any player who can help them get there, not just on the court, but with the wealth of knowledge he offers, it's LeBron.
He had to make a few stops before he circled back to Embiid's question in 2014, but it was well worth the wait, or at least Sixers fans hope it will be. Right now, you can't tell them it won't be!
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