Rich Paul Adam Schefter LeBron James Credit: Game Over, The Pat McAfee Show
By Matt Yoder on

Adam Schefter may want to stick to his day job as the world’s top NFL insider.

The ESPN reporter with millions of followers has made it known that he is a huge NBA fan, even suggesting that he could have replaced Adrian Wojnarowski as the worldwide leader’s top NBA newsbreaker. And on the rare occasion, he’s even dipped his toe into Shams and Woj territory and broken news from the Association.

But when it came to Schefter’s leads from his vast network of sources on the free agency decision of LeBron James this summer, the famed insider was left high and dry.

While it wasn’t officially shared on one of his platforms or ESPN, Schefter felt confident enough to share that a source had told him to watch out for James signing with the Miami Heat in free agency during a radio interview on Thursday in Philadelphia.

Of course, LeBron did not take his talents back to South Beach. Instead, he shocked the basketball world by signing with the Philadelphia 76ers to team up with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Jaylen Brown.

James’ agent Rich Paul has been very open about the process of James’ decision-making this summer on his Game Over podcast with Max Kellerman. And in reflecting on LeBron going to the Sixers and the spectacle that it has been in the media this summer, Paul said he felt bad for Adam Schefter for sharing what turned out to be a false lead.

“You’ve been with me throughout the whole thing going back and forth. All the speculation out there, as you can see, was so far left. I felt bad for my guy Adam Schefter. Somebody sold him a lemon. It was just one of those things, man. But I’m happy for LJ, I’m happy for the Sixers,” Paul said.

Rich Paul was definitely open and honest throughout the entire process. He said on his podcast that anyone trying to guess, report, or insinuate where James was headed was off base because even he didn’t know where LeBron’s head was at or where and when he would make his choice. That definitely turned out to be true as nobody saw James’ move coming to sign with the Sixers when former stops at Cleveland and Miami or even teaming with Steph Curry at Golden State seemed like the lead candidates.

James signed a two-year deal with a player option with the Sixers. So if he wants to play into his mid-40s, maybe Schefter and the rest of the insider class can try again in a couple years time if there is another decision to be made.

About Matt Yoder

View all posts by Matt Yoder