LeBron James Chooses Sixers Over Knicks, Proximity to New York Cited as Factor
NBA insider Marc Stein says LeBron James signed with the Philadelphia 76ers partly because the team’s location near New York City offered a logistical advantage, outweighing interest from the Knicks and other franchises.
LeBron James signed a contract with the Philadelphia 76ers over the weekend, rejecting overtures from the New York Knicks and other teams. NBA insider Marc Stein reported that the Knicks did not actively pursue James after winning the championship in June, and that the Sixers’ closeness to New York City emerged as a decisive factor in the deal. Stein added that the Sixers’ location helped them outpace interest from the Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat. > "A presumed edge for the Warriors in their long-planned recruitment of James was the notion that he and wife Savannah could to some degree maintain the Los Angeles base they have enjoyed for the past eight years while No. 23 was a Laker," Stein said. He noted that the Sixers’ training facility in Camden, New Jersey, and the ability for James to keep residences in both New York and Philadelphia were viewed as unexpected advantages. Stein compared the situation to former Sixers star Wilt Chamberlain, who commuted between Manhattan and Philadelphia in the 1960s, suggesting James could enjoy a similar bi-city lifestyle.