The hype about LeBron James' move to the Los Angeles Lakers is still alive, and Philadelphia 76ers legend Julius Erving had some few things to say and it's all worth noting.
Speaking to Mike Gill, Pete Thompson, and Michael Kaskey-Blomain of The Sports Bash on 97.3 ESPN Radio in Philly, Dr. J. himself praised James' move to the Lakers, particularly his willingness to move to the Western Conference after dominating the East for almost his entire career.
“I have a great admiration for a guy who dominated the Eastern Conference as he has and then goes out to take up the challenge of playing in the Western Conference. That’s chutzpah.”
Prior to committing to the Lakers, James' camp had. communicated with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Sixers in free agency. The team established last season that they were legitimate playoff contenders. Unlike the Lakers, the Sixers already had a pretty mature core surrounded by veterans.
But as the days went on, it was getting pretty clear that James will sign with the purple and gold. Fans and critics offered their own analysis on why James chose the Lakers. As for Erving, he believes that Lakers legend Magic Johnson is the one who was able to lock James up:
“I think Magic had him locked up. All that ‘we’re Midwest boys so we can get along, we understand each other.’ I think he sold him on that, and the challenge for LeBron [to play in the West].”
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