It is not enough to have crossed the threshold of 40, with more than 20 years spent as an NBA superstar. LeBron remains LeBron. An absolute draw, capable of shifting the technical, financial and commercial balance around him. Until a few months ago, Philadelphia had almost become the archetypal unfinished project, and a slightly unlucky one at that, among the many outsiders in the Eastern Conference. Suddenly, it is the hottest franchise in the league. The value of the 76ers brand has multiplied within weeks, ever since James chose the destination for his final run at a championship ring.
Because it is not only that Philly, in terms of its roster, has rediscovered itself as an extremely competitive team – if not the team to beat, then not far off it. Embiid, Brown and Maxey alongside him is quite something. It is also the team everyone wants to see. At almost any price, or close to it: the first big game of the season, against the reigning champions from New York – with whom the rivalry is fierce – requires at least $1,900 for a ticket. The figure rises to $48,000 for the most coveted seats. A main event before the main event, then: many observers already see the matchup as a preview of next season’s Conference Finals. And it is only August.
It is not only the box office that has gone into overdrive. Television networks do not want to miss a minute of King James in his new jersey either: the 76ers suddenly find themselves at the top of the TV rankings, with 34 games scheduled for national broadcast – an NBA record shared with the Knicks, Spurs and Lakers, last season’s finalists and LeBron’s former team. A shift in perspective that has rubbed some people the wrong way: those around the league have questioned the particularly favourable schedule laid out for Philadelphia. Of course, by the end of the season it will even out for everyone, but the order of the obstacles matters. And for Philly, apart from the Knicks on opening night, there will be no direct clashes in the opening weeks – crucial ones for building team chemistry, which is anything but guaranteed – while the franchise also has the fewest coast-to-coast trips.
It is clear that a new success story around James suits plenty of people, even if the player himself is anything but inclined to invite sympathy. Besides, this is not simply a matter of opportunism. It is the market that wants to see the 76ers win. It is the public that can barely wait. According to industry experts, as Forbes reports, there has been only one moment in NBA history that produced a comparable shift in the centre of gravity of sports entertainment. It was 2018, and the team under the spotlight then was the Los Angeles Lakers. And the player was the same: His Majesty of basketball, who has frozen time and continues to set the pace on the court. But off it too, from ticket queues to the official stores. James’s iconic No. 23, since going on sale, has set the record for the fastest-selling piece of sports apparel in its first 48 hours. More than Messi or Ronaldo. The age is what it is. So is the greatness.