LeBron James is a Philadelphia 76er | Double Dribble

**SPEAKER_1** (0:00)
We have the tech to get food delivered in 15 minutes, but we all have horror stories about buying tickets. The Game Time app gives fans the advantage. Get amazing tickets in just a few taps. Fees are included, so what you see is what you pay, and the Game Time guarantee means authentic tickets at the best price every time. Take the guesswork out of buying tickets to concerts, sports, comedy, and more with Game Time. Download the Game Time app and create an account for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply.

**SPEAKER_2** (0:30)
From lashes for days with the Viral Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara to lift and color from their brilliant eye brightener, Thrive Cosmetics is the go-to for amplifying everyday looks. Plus, every product is 100% vegan, cruelty-free, and made with clean skin-loving ingredients that work with your skin. Amplify your everyday. Go to thrivecosmetics.com/shine26 for an exclusive offer of 20% off your first order. That's Thrive Cosmetics, causemetics.com/shine26.

**Jared Dubin** (1:05)
Welcome to the Double Dribble Podcast with Dubin and Daquille. That's Jared Dubin, author of Last Night in Basketball. I'm Bo Daquille, former NBA video coordinator.
Put something up on Bleacher Report just recently, Jared. Five minimum contracts that I think would be worth looking at. I'm guessing a lot of times on what these guys are going to get minimum contracts or not. But some five guys that I think are worth looking at. Nonetheless, we had a bit of big news. Jared, first off, I was wrong. I was wrong.

**SPEAKER_4** (1:35)
I thought this was August.

**Mo Dakhil** (1:37)
I thought your big news was going to be the thing we're going to talk about later. Spencer Jones offer sheet with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

**Jared Dubin** (1:45)
No, no.
We go to that well too many times. I got to work that bit in every now and then. You got to keep the listeners on edge with that. But I thought this might go into August. LeBron was nice enough to, Friday morning, Friday morning my time to announce, going to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers. Literally, I think an hour before this recording, it became official. He has actually signed the two-year, $8 million deal with the Sixers. And just before we get into how he fits all that stuff, all that fun stuff, what was just your immediate reaction?

**Mo Dakhil** (2:29)
I was really surprised. I thought that the Sixers were one of the least likely teams that he was going to go to.
I thought we talked about this before. I thought that he was going to go to a team that he had some prior connection to, whether it was Cleveland or Miami or even the connection in Golden State with Steph and Draymond and things like that. So this definitely knocked me off my feet because I was not expecting him to go to Philly.

**Jared Dubin** (2:51)
Yeah, I mean, we even said in the pod, this was probably what like the worst basketball situation. We're going to get into that. I've actually changed stance on that now that I've sat down and really have thought about it. You'd be proud of me, Jared. I didn't rush to conclusions. I didn't immediately put my thoughts out on social media. And this is the first I'm actually talking about it beyond just a couple of friends here and there. This is the first bit of it.
I was kind of like, huh, okay. It wasn't where I expected him to go. I've been telling you the whole time. I think it was all BS and he was going to end up in Golden State the whole time was my thought process. I think the thing, this wave of the free agency, it seems has gone like, if you believe Rich Paul, it was like he decided on one thing. Then at the last second kind of, you know, when they were going to, before they were going to announce that this was going to happen earlier, he changed his mind and wanted to think more about something.
It makes me believe that the Jalen Brown trade is what changed everything.

**Mo Dakhil** (4:08)
Yeah, I think there was reporting in the Athletic that the Jalen Brown trade changed things for him, or at least did for the Sixers.

**Jared Dubin** (4:16)
Well, I feel like it changed it for LeBron, to be in like, okay, this is actually more viable than it was maybe before, where if it's just me, Tyrese Maxey, Edge Coleman and B. And I think that's one of those things that kind of, I think sort of just made him sit down and think and recalibrate what he's gonna be viewing it as. But it definitely was a shock, and I think it shocked everybody.