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NBA star reminds LeBron that Lakers will 'forever' belong to Kobe and Magic

By Ross Kelly July 1, 2018 at 9:33am

While many NBA teams are trying to woo LeBron James by talking about how great they would be with his arrival, Joel Embiid is trying a different tactic.

The newest cover athlete for NBA Live ’19 took to social media, not talk about how James could “Complete the Process” by joining the Sixers, but rather Embiid decided to sub-tweet LeBron about the risk of signing elsewhere.

It’s no secret that the Lakers are considered the most likely destination for James, and Embiid took time to point out that even if The King lands in L.A., his Lakers legacy still won’t match those of two all-time greats.

The Lakers are FOREVER gonna be Kobe’s and Magic’s team…. Process that

— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) June 30, 2018

Kobe Bryant is arguably the most popular Laker ever and is the all-time franchise leader in games played and points scored, in addition to winning five rings.

Magic Johnson was the most popular Laker until Kobe came around and he brought Showtime (and five championships of his own) to L.A. He is also the team’s president of basketball operations, so Embiid is technically right in that the Lakers are his team.

Would LeBron James on the 76ers make them the Eastern Conference favorite?

But Embiid seems to be going with the approach that no matter what James would do if he joins the Lakers, he will never surpass what Kobe and Magic did.

Those two combined for 33 seasons and 10 championships in purple and gold. James is 33 years old, and while this isn’t a Karl-Malone-in-LA situation,he would likely only spend a couple of seasons with the Lakers.

Embiid’s tweet also shows off his youth and ignorance as there have been many great Lakers outside of Kobe and Magic, and one could make the case that it is their team instead.

One person who pointed that out is Dei Lynam, a former broadcaster for the 76ers and the daughter of former Sixers coach, Jim Lynam.

I think Wilt and West and Kareem and Shaq would take exception to processing that

— Dei Lynam (@dlynamCSN) June 30, 2018

Embiid talking about his competition in the Lakers is a differen recruiting tactic than he used earlier in the season. After a game against the Cavs, Embiid posted on Instagram a picture of him and LeBron with a suggestive hashtag.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bfzt8NrlEkQ/?utm_source=ig_embed

Maybe Embiid’s social media recruitment actually paid off, as Sunday morning reports suggest the Sixers have at least got into the discussion for LeBron’s talents.

Philadelphia is meeting with LeBron James and his reps today in Los Angeles, league sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2018

Per the Associated Press, LeBron isn’t expected to drag out this decision over several days. Thus, we could find out before the Fourth of July if Embiid gets his wish and LeBron completes the process.

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