Now that LeBron James has chosen his final NBA destination, details about how he will adjust his lifestyle, move his family around and travel to games after coming across the country to the East Coast has been a topic of discussion.
ESPN insider Shams Charania was a guest on the “The Pat McAfee Show” this past Friday to discuss James’ move to Philly. He says nothing is final but there is a possibility that the NBA’s all-time leading scorer could reside in NYC and use a helicopter to get to Sixers home games.
“Will he live in Philly? Will he live in New Jersey? Will he live in New York? Will he take a chopper back and forth? We don’t know those answers yet,” Charania said. “But we do know he’s going to the East Coast, and that’s a big lifestyle change for James at this point in his career.”
Fans are hoping LeBron avoids using a helicopter mid-season.
Immediately after Charania brought up the possibility of James traveling via helicopter, fans and reporters started offering their opinions on the matter.
Fans Debate Why LeBron James Doesn’t Want To Live In Philly
James recently signed a two-year, $8M contract with the Sixers, joining Joel Embiid and Jaylen Brown in an attempt to add one more championship trophy to the mantle.
He chose the Sixers over other contending teams such as the New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat. Some interpreted this information as LeBron expressing a disdain for the city of Philly as far as his family residing there is concerned. Bron said his daughter’s future and comfortability was very important in this move. So he might feel like New York has more to offer to his family. He is a billionaire, so he can immerse himself in the full experience.
“Why doesn’t he want to live in Philadelphia?” asked one fan, before the answers started flowing.
“I mean, if you’re filthy, stinking rich where would you rather live? Philly has nice places, but it’s hard to compete with NY,” one user replied.
“Would you want to live in Philadelphia? Coming from someone who lives there,” one Philly resident commented on X
“NY for the rich is as good as it gets the best chefs/restaurants/entertainment options/real estate/women,” another netizen quipped.
“Even LeBron doesn’t want to live in Philly and he just signed a contract to work there.”
“Should tell you everything you need to know,” commented one X user.
“Dawg said I might play but I ain’t staying in dirty ah Philly,” chirped another.
Kobe Bryant Flashbacks With News Of LeBron Taking Helicopter From NYC To Philly
The prospect that LeBron might helicopter back and forth triggered many fans with flashbacks to Kobe Bryant and the tragic ending he and his daughter Gigi, as well as seven others met on Jan. 26, 2020, when a Sikorsky S-76B helicopter they were traveling in crashed into a hillside in Calabasas, California
“There’s nowhere suitable for him to live in Philadelphia???,” one fan asked. “Kobe and his daughter Gigi should be a cautionary tale!
“Did Kobe’s tragic death not make LeBron rethink flying in helicopters?” another fan commented.
“If the pilot says NOT TODAY, you gonna have to miss that game GOAT,” begged one X user.
Is LeBron Already Killing Team Chemistry?
Other fans felt that living in another state than the rest of the team (many who live in South Jersey) isn’t great for team chemistry or development and is another example of LeBron doing him.
“He wants to do the helicopter to upstage Kobe if you know what I mean. This how sick and deranged this man is,” another X user harshly commented.
In fairness, Kobe had flown in a helicopter hundreds of times and safely completed the same 30-minute trip to Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks – that would otherwise be a two-hour drive from his Newport Beach home – the day before. His fatal crash was truly an aberration, with the pilot reportedly losing orientation and control while flying in low cloud cover and reduced visibility. To suggest that LeBron’s traveling experience would be the same as Kobe’s unfortunate fate is a stretch.
“A daily commute from New York to Philadelphia is certainly unconventional. It’ll be interesting to see how the travel fits into the demands of an NBA season, even with access to private transportation,” one curious netizen commented.
Nothing is final yet, but we do know that LeBron, entering his record 24th season in the NBA, isn’t adjusting that much for anyone. All of the accommodating will clearly be on the part of the Sixers, who must have offered LeBron plenty of freedom, perks and personal discretion with everything from playing time to travel accommodations to get him to play there. It makes them relevant and gives LeBron the kind of control he likes to have, even as a third or fourth option on a team.
