LeBron James' agent, Rich Paul, described his client's free agency as an "emotional roller coaster" before he ultimately chose the Philadelphia 76ers as his final NBA destination early Friday morning.
Paul confirmed that the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, and Cleveland Cavaliers were also in the mix for James' services, with each team positioning itself as the favorite at different points in the four-time MVP's decision-making process.
"You can see from the end of the season ... the emotional attachments and how hard it is to go away from a Miami and go away from a Cleveland," Paul said on his podcast "Game Over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul," according to ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. "Who wouldn't want to play with Steph Curry and Draymond Green.
"I'm seeing the emotional roller coaster every single day. ... Home is home (in Cleveland). Miami is Miami. It's Pat (Riley). ... I think that everyone was at some point leading the race."
James eventually agreed to a two-year, $8-million contract with the 76ers, which includes a player option for the second season.
Paul noted Philadelphia's acquisition of Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics and James' close relationship with Tyrese Maxey as decisive factors in the NBA's all-time leading scorer's final decision.
"When you add a LeBron, everything changes," Paul said. "That is why it is not easy for someone who is (deemed) to be a star player on a team, when he comes, he kind of shows you how big or little of a star you actually are. It takes a special kind of person to mentally embrace that.
"The familiarity with him and Tyrese, you don't have to worry about that with Tyrese. They know each other, they embrace each other, they have been working out together for the last five years. So you won't have any pushback. You can't pay for that. You can't put a value on that."
Philadelphia was swept in the second round of last season's playoffs by the New York Knicks. The 76ers haven't made a conference finals since 2001.
