PHILADELPHIA — Baseball’s “Chosen One” signed in Philadelphia back in 2019. Seven years later, basketball’s “Chosen One” will follow suit.
The word spread around the city on Friday after NBA superstar and all-time leading scorer LeBron James announced that he would be joining the Philadelphia 76ers as a free-agent addition. Phillies superstar Bryce Harper heard the news while at home, and he shared his thoughts once he arrived at Citizens Bank Park in the afternoon.
“Pretty cool,” Harper said. “Obviously, one of the best to ever do it, being able to come in and join that club over there. Obviously, they got a good young group over there that are a lot of fun to play with. So really cool for the city for him to come in.”
James, the 41-year-old basketball legend, was placed on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a high schooler and touted as a future star. He, of course, met the expectations as a 22-time All-Star, four-time NBA MVP and four-time NBA Finals MVP — while also becoming an icon in sports and pop culture.
The 32-year-old Harper has had some similar experiences. At 16, he was on the cover of SI, projected to be the next great baseball star. He was the No. 1 overall pick in 2010, and he also lived up to the hype. Harper is a nine-time major-league All-Star, a four-time Silver Slugger and a two-time National League MVP.
Harper said he had met James once before at the ESPY Awards. He was not surprised that James picked Philadelphia because the Sixers are “really good.” Asked what kind of advice he can give to James upon coming to Philly, Harper deferred to James’ extensive resume.
“He’s played in big markets before,” Harper said. “He knows exactly what he needs to do. There’s no advice I can give him. Like I said, he’s one of the greatest to do it. So obviously he’s going to have a great couple years here, and obviously everybody’s going to expect him to win a championship, here and everywhere else. So nothing new for him.
“He’s had all the pressure since he was in high school, younger than that. So obviously I hope him the best. He’s an incredible competitor, and he wants to win. So it’s pretty cool.”
Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said he also learned the news at home when his 11-year-old son, Louie, ran down the stairs and delivered the message.
“Dad, LeBron’s coming to Philly!” Louie said.
“All right,” the elder Mattingly, a former Indiana high school basketball player whose favorite player was Larry Bird, said. “Here we go.”
Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh grew up in Georgia cheering for the Atlanta Hawks, but he’s also “a huge LeBron fan.” He called James’ signing with the Sixers “a great addition to their to their squad already.”
With James in the fold following the momentous move, it seems like an exciting time for professional sports in the City of Brotherly Love.
“Obviously a great city to come play in,” Harper said, “fanbase wise, sports wise. I feel like the city’s in a really good spot with all the teams right now, from us to the Sixers to the Eagles to the Flyers making postseason this year as well. So just a really good really good spot to be in.”
