LeBron James‘ free agency generated no shortage of suitors before he ultimately chose to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers.
According to ESPN’s David McMenamin, LeBron’s longtime agent, Rich Paul, held discussions with as many as 27 teams before narrowing the final list down to five. Those five were the Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves.
But, in fact, there were two unexpected teams that expressed serious interest before falling out of the race.
David McMenamin reported that the Boston Celtics, one of LeBron’s fiercest rivals throughout his career, explored the possibility of adding the four-time NBA champion.
The Celtics’ interest is particularly surprising given the history between the two sides. For over two decades, LeBron and the Boston Celtics have had one of the greatest playoff rivalries.
Overall, LeBron has faced the Celtics 103 times, posting a 34-28 regular-season record and an impressive 25-15 playoff record. His individual numbers are also very impressive. LeBron has averaged 28.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists against the Celtics during the regular season. In the playoffs, he has raised his game even further, averaging 29.6 points, 8.5 rebounds and 6.3 assists.
The rivalry has also seen dramatic swings in momentum on either side. Boston eliminated LeBron during his first stint with the Cavaliers in both 2008 and 2010. They seemed to establish themselves as a roadblock between him and true championship contention.
But LeBron responded by turning the tables. He eliminated the Celtics in 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2018. Three of those victories came in the Eastern Conference Finals, as he showed true dominance over the conference.
The rivalry has also extended far beyond the court. LeBron has never hidden his feelings toward Boston. During his time with the Lakers, he said, “I still hate Boston,” a comment that was loved by Lakers fans because of the historic Celtics-Lakers rivalry.
He has also generated headlines when he called the city’s fan base racist. Given this enormous history, it was very difficult to see LeBron ever wearing a Celtics green jersey.
Ironically, the Celtics may have helped send him to the Philadelphia 76ers. Earlier this offseason, the Celtics made a blockbuster decision to trade Jaylen Brown to the 76ers. Without Brown joining Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers wouldn’t have been such an attractive destination for LeBron.
Another surprising team, the Los Angeles Clippers, even discussed offering a potential one-year contract worth $20 million, which would have allowed him to stay in his Brentwood home while switching to the Lakers’ crosstown rivals.
The Clippers’ pursuit may have been even more surprising. LeBron had spent eight seasons with the Lakers, helping the franchise win the 2020 title, and he became one of the biggest stars in franchise history.
Seeing him move across town to the Clippers would have been almost unthinkable just months ago.
Financially speaking, this could have been the biggest offer on the table.
A deal exceeding $20 million would have dwarfed the veteran minimum contract that LeBron ultimately accepted from Philadelphia.
The Clippers also had a few strong pieces.
Kawhi Leonard was still on the roster when LeBron was considering the Clippers. But he was traded to the Raptors a few days before LeBron announced his decision, although that trade is currently pending because of the ongoing tampering investigation.
Darius Garland, another player with whom LeBron has shared a close relationship, was also part of the team’s core after the Clippers traded for him.
It wasn’t a bad basketball fit on paper, but as reports all offseason suggested, money was never going to be the deciding factor.
In the end, LeBron chose the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Sixers offered him the one thing he valued the most: another legitimate chance to win a title as he chases a fifth NBA title and a chance to become the first player in league history to win championships with four different franchises.
