The Cleveland Cavaliers and Philadelphia 76ers faced off on Thursday night in an intriguing matchup, especially given that LeBron James had considered both teams as potential destinations. The 41-year-old ultimately decided to sign with Philadelphia, reportedly because of its roster construction.
During the summer, both teams were on James' shortlist of potential destinations. Although he ultimately joined Philadelphia, Bill Simmons revealed during the summer that James was expected to join the Cavaliers.
“It was the decision he thought he could make to try to win a title. I don't think there's any other reason he went to [Philly]. It's not like, 'I've always wanted to play for the Sixers.' Listen, he was going to [the Cleveland Cavaliers]. I don't know what happened. I can't wait for the story. Something happened," Simmons said.
Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson made it clear that he expected James to play for the Cavaliers this season. He also admitted that he was disappointed when the opportunity fell through.
“We were anticipating and excited to land LeBron and then you have that news, having gone through free agency a lot, when you're expecting something to happen and it doesn't happen, that first day or two, you're just like, you're depressed, quite honestly. That's the emotions of it," Atkinson told the media.
When James was asked about the situation, he didn't go into much detail. However, he confirmed that Cleveland was seriously considered as a potential destination.
“The nature of the meeting, I probably won’t discuss much. But it was in consideration for sure. I mean, obviously, as a team trying to build towards a championship and things of that nature, I was trying to decide where I wanted to go with the rest of my career, to finish my career, or the next step. So, they had a lot of consideration for sure,” James said.
It is possible that James was seriously considering joining the Cavaliers before ultimately choosing Philadelphia. Cleveland was viewed as a potential landing spot for the four-time NBA champion as he entered the later stages of his career.
For now, James has joined a team with the potential to be a serious contender. However, his decision also gave Cleveland hope that a reunion could happen, as the Cavaliers appeared to be a genuine option before he ultimately signed with the 76ers.
