LeBron James joins a Sixers roster built to win, and a title here would make him the first player ever to win NBA championships with four different franchises. Not everyone's convinced, though: veteran journalist Jason Whitlock has already blasted the move on his Fearless podcast.

Whitlock was the host of his Fearless podcast, and the topic of discussion was the four-time NBA champion moving to the 76ers, to which guest Steve Kim reacted positively. However, Whitlock disagreed with the decision.

"It's pure ring chasing," Whitlock said on July 24. "This is, maybe, a worse version than him going to the Miami Heat. This is the worst of all the decisions. He's joining a team with a stacked roster."

Whitlock compared James' latest move to his move back in 2011 to the Heat in his Fearless podcast.

In Miami, James teamed up with NBA stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, earning the nickname the Big Three, and clinched back-to-back NBA championships in 2012 and 2013, making Whitlock compare this move with the 76ers' one.

In the 76ers, James is joining the 2023 MVP Joel Embiid, 2024 champion and Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, fifth-highest scorer last season in Tyrese Maxey, and talented youngster VJ Edgecombe.

It surely is a stacked team on paper, and that is why Whitlock isn't the only one who has criticized the 22-time All-Star for joining the 76ers.

Charles Barkley also criticized LeBron James for joining a "stacked" team

After James' announcement became viral all over social media, Hall of Famer Charles Barkley joined as a guest on the latest episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show, and criticized James for joining the 76ers.

"The number one knock on LeBron for older guys like myself has always been, 'Yo, man, you always stacking your team,'" Barkley said on July 24. "He stacked it in Miami. He stacked it in Cleveland. He's stacked it in LA. Now he's stacking it in Philly. I'm going to still have the same criticism I've always had. He's always stacked this team."

James will be part of the 76ers squad along with Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.

Amidst the criticism, James has made his intentions clear on what he wants to do with the 76ers. James went on to write his thoughts on X (formerly Twitter), explaining that he first considered retiring but is now determined to pursue his goal.

"This is my last decision," James wrote on July 24. "I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family. What am I really playing for at this point? I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win, and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship."

This move comes after James let the Lakers know that he wanted to leave even before his free agency had started. He signed a two-year contract for $8 million, with a player option included.

Is this the move that finally gets LeBron his fifth ring? Comment.

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Written by

Dhruv Singh

Edited by

Utsav Gupta