The LeBron Move Is Nearly Unprecedented In Philly Sports History: 5 Closest Comparisons

PHILADELPHIA, PA — It is not hyperbole to call Friday one of the most historical moments in a century and a half of professional sports in Philadelphia.

LeBron James may be the greatest basketball player of all time. Some think he is the greatest athlete of all time. A man whose peers are Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, and Tom Brady does not readily offer analogues.

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Philly has always been one of the world's great sport cities. For all the moping about fan suffering and various championships droughts, Philadelphia is riddled with superstars in three of its four major sports and clearly punches above its weight for a city its size.

Here's a glance at the biggest comparable transactions in Philly sports history.

1. Moses Malone, 1982

Malone had won two MVPs in the four years before he left Houston, his home of six years, to sign with the Sixers in Sept. 1982.

The 27-year-old was already established as an all time great at the time of the signing. While he wouldn't have been considered better than Wilt Chamberlain and may have been shadowed by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, there were only a small handful of other players in history to that point that were considered Malone's peers. One of them was his teammate in Philly, Julius Erving.

The 6-10 "Chairman of the Boards" won his third MVP in that magical first season with the Sixers in 1982-83. Alongside Dr. J, he led the Sixers to win the NBA Finals. Though Philly returned with Allen Iverson in 2001, they have not won since '83.

A first ballot Hall of Famer, Malone has placed 15th on multiple lists of the greatest players in NBA history, including ESPN and Slam Magazine.

2. Pete Rose, 1979

Rose came to Philadelphia in 1979 under near identical circumstances to James. He was 38 years old and in the twilight of an all time great career. Much like Dr. J was for Malone, another Hall of Famer was part of the allure for Rose: Mike Schmidt. Larry Bowa and Greg Luzinski have always been thought of as key in luring Rose, too.

Malone and Rose, like LeBron, wanted to win a championship. Rose, in fact, probably prioritized that above all else in his free agent circus that winter. Like James, money didn't matter to Rose at that stage in his career, and he said numerous times then and in the years to follow that other teams had offered much more money than the Phillies did. He specifically chose Philadelphia.

Rose, of course, was central to the 1980 World Series championship team. The Phillies also won a second pennant in Rose's final year in 1983, though they lost the World Series that year.

Evaluating Rose as an all time great is more complex. There's the lifetime ban Rose received later for sports gambling. He also fits an unusual profile among the greats, as he was not a power hitter. He is still not on LeBron's level, he falls short of Babe Ruth, but as MLB's all time hits leader he is among the inner circle of the greatest to ever play the game.

3. Bryce Harper, 2019

The story on the Showman is still being written. Harper is the best modern comparison to LeBron due to his enormous popularity and the media fanfare that surrounded his decision in the 2018-2019 MLB offseason.

Bryce is still just 33, and he's almost certainly a Hall of Famer. He is not contending with Babe Ruth and Willie Mays for the title of the greatest ever, however, and even a stellar finish to his career would still place him, clearly, an echelon below that of Malone's in the NBA.

Why Bryce Harper Chose Philadelphia As His New Home

But the magnitude of historical transactions goes beyond on-field and on-court performances. Harper shares a lot in LeBron: both have somehow lived up to the absurd expectations placed on them as children. Harper was first on the cover of Sports Illustrated when he was 16, LeBron at 17. Harper was the number one overall pick in the draft, like LeBron, and debuted in the MLB when he was still a teenager, like LeBron, and won an MVP early in his career, like LeBron.

Adding LeBron in 2026 gives the Sixers one of their greatest rosters in history and makes them championship contenders for one year. Maybe two. Harper's addition transformed an entire franchise and has kickstarted at least a decade of championship contention. Harper also chose to shift his entire player identity to Philadelphia for at least 13 years of his career. He is obviously not on LeBron's level, but his legacy in the city will be much more pronounced.

4. Julius Erving, 1976

Dr. J enjoys a more profound reputation in Philadelphia than Malone because he spent more of his career here, and there's a case for him to ranked atop this list.

Erving also came to Philly on the heels of an MVP season with the New York Nets in 1976.

But Erving gets placed lower here because he didn't choose Philly in free agency the way Malone, Harper, or LeBron did. 1976 was the year the American Basketball Association merged with the NBA. The Nets, in the ABA, owed the New York Knicks, who were already in the NBA, money for "invading" their New York market. To recoup that money, they sold Erving's contract to the Sixers.

Erving won the NBA MVP in 1980-81 after winning three MVPs in the ABA. His 11-year tenure in Philly included 11 consecutive postseason appearances, including 7 appearances in the Eastern Conference Finals, four appearances in the NBA Finals, and of course the magical '83 championship run with Malone.

5. Wilt Chamberlain, 1965

Wilt the Stilt is the only Philly athlete in history who can be considered on LeBron's level. Long before LeBron's playing days began, analysts ranked Chamberlain right alongside Jordan and Abdul-Jabbar as the greatest ever.

Despite being born and raised in Philadelphia and starring at Overbrook High School, Wilt did not choose to come to the Sixers in Jan. 1965. He'd started his career with the franchise then known as the Philadelphia Warriors. Wilt moved to San Francisco with the franchise in 1962, and by all indications, had no interest in leaving California until the trade.

Like Malone, and unlike LeBron, Chamberlain came back to Philadelphia at age 28, the prime of his career. He went on to win three consecutive MVP awards over a four-year career with the Sixers, as well as the NBA Finals championship in 1967. Though he only spent four years in Philly, his success here, coupled with his historical roots in the city, helped establish a reputation for Philadelphia as one of the world's greatest basketball cities.

Honorable 21st century mentions: Saquon Barkley (Eagles, 2024), Jaromir Jagr (Flyers, 2011), Roy Halladay (Phillies, 2010), Cliff Lee (Phillies, 2009), Terrell Owens (Eagles, 2004), Jim Thome (Phillies, 2003)