LeBron James (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
The season’s still young, but the Sixers are sitting atop the Eastern Conference with an 8-1 record and a rematch with the Cleveland Cavaliers looming.
What better time to check in with The Inquirer’s Alex Coffey to talk about the former Cav and current Sixer, LeBron James, and the tradition he has brought to Philly from every stop he has made in his storied career?
Coffey wrote about LeBron’s bevy of personalized handshakes in the Inquirer last week. It would be a heartwarming enough story if the arguable GOAT had handshakes with players up and down the roster, but he doesn’t do anything halfway. Coffey also caught up with Marvin Ulysse, a former team attendant with the Miami Heat. James liked Ulysse’s sneakers, one thing led to another and before he knew it, the two had their own routine.
“I was a team attendant,” Ulysse said in the story. “I’m not thinking I’m gonna get a handshake like the players are. But then he made a handshake with every team attendant in that locker room.”
Coffey — who, notably, does not yet have a handshake with James — spoke to Austin Krell of the Vertical 76 podcast to discuss the story, built around a seemingly simple gesture, which she called a “microcosm” for how the superstar treats people.
“They’re not all stars, they’re not all people who are on his level of fame,” she told Krell. “That was a main takeaway that I had: how much thought he’s putting into it and how he sees these guys … this is what he sees in them and he’s eager to convey that to them and not just isolate himself as the big star on the team.”
When James arrived in Philadelphia, it took him all of two days to come up with a routine with Tyrese Maxey. According to Coffey, rookie Labaron Philon Jr. and second-year guard VJ Edgecombe followed soon after.
“You got a handshake with LeBron James, man,” Maxey told Coffey. “Especially for guys that don’t play as much... that’s a memory.”
The Sixers visit Cleveland Friday night for a 7:30 p.m. ET tip on Prime Video.
