There has been much talk over the years about LeBron James and his quote unquote “Legacy”. After 23 seasons in the NBA, the 41 year old has decided to enter his 24th season with a new franchise. Rumors swirled around LeBron this summer: Would he head to Golden State to join the team that he dominated left, right, up, and down in 2016? Would he return to South Beach and link up with Giannis and Bam Adebayo, one of the league's greatest scorers of all-time? Would he return to Cleveland as the hometown hero and ride off into the sunset with the storybook ending? OR Would he do something that wasn’t even fathomable like go to Philadelphia or Minnesota?
After much speculation this offseason he finally landed on his destination. On Friday July 24th, The King made up his mind and decided to go to Philly, the city of Brotherly Love. And there will be much “Brotherly Love” between many “Bronsexuals”, as the subgroup of NBA fans have dubbed themselves. But what about LeBron? Nobody ever asks how LeBron is, or what he’s doing… they just ask: “How does this affect LeBron’s legacy”. Which begs the question: How does LeBron going to Philadelphia affect LeBron’s legacy?
LeBron James has done pretty much everything a man could do in the league. After 23 seasons, he finally surpassed Vince Carter (22 seasons) for the longest career in NBA history and it appears he will continue this feat. Through those 23 seasons, LeBron James has played on the Cleveland Cavaliers (2003-2010, 2014-2018), The Miami Heat (2010-2014), and recently his longest stint with the Los Angeles Lakers (2018-2026). He has won 4 NBA Championships along with 4 NBA Finals MVP (One with Cleveland & LA, Two with Miami). Additionally, LeBron accumulated 22 all-star appearances (2005-2026) throughout his career, never missing one for over two decades straight. James has 4 NBA MVP awards, has been elected All-NBA 1st Team 13 times, and All-NBA 2nd & 3rd Team 4 times respectively. The 2004 Rookie of the Year also had been elected to the NBA All-Defensive 1st Team 5 times throughout his career and even touts 1 NBA All-Defensive 2nd Team nod.
Although he was born in Akron Ohio, James has been to 4 separate Olympics for “basketball”, winning 3 Gold Medals and 1 Bronze for the United States of America. Hell, LeBron James even won the first ever NBA Cup back in 2023.
Accolades aside, LeBron is the NBA’s All-Time leading scorer in points and is top 5 All-Time in Assists (4th), Steals (6th), and Turnovers (1st). Although basketball may be his favorite sport, LeBron is also an athlete in other sports. James played Wide Receiver for St. Vincent-St. Mary’s High School Football Team. An impressive outing for “Just a Basketball Player” as some call LeBron Raymone James Sr.
Speaking of Senior, LeBron James is the only NBA player ever to play on the same team with his own offspring. LeBron Raymone James Jr. or “Bronny” as he’s christened himself, was drafted by the LA Lakers in 2023 55th overall and played alongside his father from 2024-2026. After posting an unimpressive 3 points per game this past season, it is unlikely there will be more “Bronny” to go around the league.
LeBron has just finished his final season with the Lakers posting an impressive 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 1.2 steals through 46 games. While the 41 year old missed some time due to injury (22 games) and 14 games spent playing at 40 years old, these numbers are impressive for an NBA player regardless of age. Although John Stockton played 70 games at 40 years old, the All-Time assist leader only played 12 games at the age of 41 during the 2002-2003 season. During his stretch at 41, Stockton averaged an impressive 8.8 Points, 2.1 Rebounds, 7.8 Assists, and 1.3 Steals.
There were only four other players to play over 46 games at 41 years old, much like “The King”. However, their stats prove that what LeBron is doing is completely abnormal. Robert Parrish played 81 games averaging 4.8/4.3/0.5, Kareem Abdul Jabar played 73 games averaging 10.5/4.6/1.1, Vince Carter played 72 games averaging 6.6/2.9/1.1, and Kevin Willis played 48 games averaging a measly 3.2 Points and 2 Rebounds. Clearly, LeBron sets himself apart from the other “Golden Boys” who played at 41 years of age.
Many NBA Fans would put LeBron James in the “GOAT” conversation. Along with him, we hear the typical arguments of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Heck, Stephen Curry, Shaquille O’Neil and even Vincent Carter come up in these heated NBA debates to this day. While the last 3 are not as popular in these discussions, there will always be an argument surrounding either LeBron James, Michael Jordan, or Kobe Bryant. Three Goliaths of basketball. While both Lebron and Kobe have publicly idolized Michael Jordan and have said they have modeled aspects of their games after him, only Kobe had the chance to play against MJ. As LeBron James entered the league, Jordan, the man widely renowned as the best basketball player ever, opted to retire for the third time in his career. While Lebron’s hand only beckons 4 rings, Jordan (6) and Bryant (5) each obtain more hardware than James. But will he change that in Philadelphia? It’s highly unlikely LeBron can conquer a Three-peat (winning 3 Championships in a row) something MJ had done twice in his career (1991-1993, 1996-1998) and The Black Mamba accomplished once (2000-2002).
Is LeBron chasing Basketball Legends of the past? Is he trying to “beat” the legacies of those considered his “equals” in GOAT debates? Or is LeBron just playing ball and building his own legacy? These questions can only be answered by one man. However, in 2019, many were critical about LeBron’s initial move to LA. Many deemed him “Wanting to be like Kobe” especially after changing his jersey number during his time in LA. Things could be unfolding that way if LeBron does bring a championship to Philly, tying Bryant for NBA Championships with 5.
Furthermore, over the last week, speculative rumors came out that LeBron may live in NYC and commute to Philadelphia. He may be trying to continue chasing Kobe Bean Bryant’s legacy as it has since come up per Brain Windhorst and Shams Charania that James may commute from NYC to Philly via Helicopter, citing this as one of the appeals of playing for Philadelphia. Kobe Bryant’s legacy ended by helicopter, is LeBron planning a similar fate? While the “LeCopter” may or may not be for certain, will the children of the future be yelling “LeBron!” while throwing trash into a trashcan?
Does the move to Philadelphia impact LeBron’s legacy? After a look at his career, it may not. But what is a legacy? Legacy is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as something (such as personal property or money) that is willed to someone by a person who has died. In Sports, it is viewed as a player’s impact on the game once they are no longer playing. So why take a look at LeBron’s legacy while he still plays? Why not embrace greatness and watch. As basketball fans, why don’t we just watch the game instead of talk about it? In time, LeBron’s legacy will be revealed. But that day is not today.