LeBron James just dropped a bombshell, making his free agency decision and choosing the Philadelphia 76ers. Talk about a surprise! Most of us expected him to head back to Miami or Cleveland. Miami even accidentally posted their social media announcement prematurely. But it’s Philly, because, as always with King James, he thinks that’s where he’s most likely to win a title. But is that really going to happen? Man, the odds are stacked against it.
The King’s Fading Crown
Let’s talk about James himself. The dude has played 23 seasons, and you have to give him massive credit: he’s done an amazing job keeping himself in incredible shape. Even at 41 years old, he’s still a tremendous player. Nobody can deny that. But here’s the brutal truth: he’s not the player he once was. Last year, we saw a bunch of times where he simply didn’t react on defense. He’s nowhere near as explosive as he used to be, and the cold hard fact is he’ll never be better than he was last season. Father Time catches up to everyone, even LeBron.
His availability has been a huge issue too. He played a full 82-game regular season back in 2017-18, but since then? Forget about it. He played 55 games in 2018-19, 67 in 2019-20 (a Covid-shortened season where nobody played more), then dipped to 45 games in 2020-21. He had 56 games in 2021-22, 55 in 2022-23, then a bit of a rebound with 71 in 2023-24 and 70 in 2024-25. But last season, 2025-26, he only played 60 games. That’s missing more than a quarter of the season, and it’s a trend for the last eight years. That’s a huge problem for a championship hopeful.
Embiid’s Even Bigger Problem and Bench Blues
Honestly, LeBron isn’t even the biggest health concern here. That honor goes to Joel Embiid. At 32, he’s had even more availability issues than James. Let’s look at his track record over the same period: 64 games in 2018-19, 51 in 2019-20 (again, Covid-limited), and another 51 in 2020-21. He played 68 games in 2021-22, 66 in 2022-23, then things went off a cliff with just 39 games in 2023-24, a crazy low 19 games in 2024-25, and only 38 last season. Oh, and let’s not forget he lost his first two seasons to injuries entirely. That’s just not a championship-level track record for your superstar big man.
On the bright side, the Sixers do have some serious talent with Jaylen Brown, who’s been outstanding his whole career, VJ Edgecombe, who will absolutely benefit from James’s experience, and Tyrese Maxey, who has really proven himself. That’s a great perimeter attack, no doubt. But here’s the kicker: there is so much riding on James and Embiid actually staying healthy. If they don’t, who steps up? The bench just isn’t deep enough to carry that kind of load.
So, if you’re looking to bet on next year’s title, you’d probably be smart to look elsewhere. The Spurs, for example. Yeah, they crashed hard against the Knicks in the finals, but their core is young, crazy talented, and just got a punch to the nose. They learned a ton from that New York series, and you just know they’ll be highly motivated for another shot. The Sixers? They’re relying on two injury-prone superstars, and that’s a risky, risky gamble.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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