Has LeBron James set himself up to pass Michael Jordan with move to 76ers? Has he already?

Time comes for us all. It’s coming quick for Michael Jordan and his throne.

In terms of barroom debates and general perception, it won’t be long before LeBron James surpasses the greatest basketball player in history.

I report this news with great sadness. I have seen the entirety of both careers. I was privileged to cover Jordan during his championship run with the Bulls. I witnessed things with Jordan that I’ve never seen from any other basketball player in my 39 years as a journalist, although Diana Taurasi and Kobe Bryant come close. James does not.

I willingly concede that James has amassed the better career. But Jordan is the greatest to ever lace them up, and ESPN’s Brian Windhorst has offered the perfect analogy: If you’re choosing the highest mountain, you take Jordan. If you’re selecting the most expansive mountain range, you choose James.

But mostly, I’m conceding because of recency bias. Attention spans have diminished in America. History is for suckers. The legends of yesteryear fade with every passing season. Even Jordan is not immune.

James’ decision to join the 76ers and play for the veteran’s minimum salary also changes the calculus. This time, James didn’t concoct a superteam from handpicked friends and fellow stars. His surprise selection made the NBA’s latest superteam materialize overnight, in the most passionate sports town on the planet.

If James helps deliver a title to Philly, he will be the first player to win an NBA championship with four different teams. From a roster standpoint, the 76ers are the best team he’s ever played for, a squad that already featured Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecomb. They will be media darlings, a traveling circus, maybe one of the best shows in basketball.

But I don’t think another ring is even necessary.

If James plays two full seasons with the 76ers, he will retire with a 25-year career. Vince Carter will be second at 22 years. A host of other players reached 21 seasons, including Chris Paul. None come close to James’ longevity and excellence. James will be the only NBA superstar to last a quarter century, and that number will overwhelm the senses, along with what’s left of the Jordan supporters in 2028.

Of course, James needs to stay relatively healthy. The 76ers cannot implode under the weight of ego and a chemistry experiment that went horribly wrong. On Tuesday, a national talk show debated how the 76ers’ starting lineup should be announced on a nightly basis, and who gets introduced last. These situations rarely work out as planned.

There is also the matter of James reportedly commuting to Philadelphia from a residence in New York City, which is 95 miles away. A close friend of mine is a Philadelphia native and a prototypical diehard fan. He reached out to five more of his hometown friends. They all claim they don’t care one bit that James won’t be a local living among them. That’s easy to say now.

But it’s clear that James has made the perfect decision. By choosing the 76ers, he isn’t returning for a second or third act in a city he once called home. He has chosen the fresh and not the stale. He is taking an uncharted path in a rough-and-tumble city, and with it, he has commanded our attention all over again. He has chosen the pathway to the crown. Like it or not.

Reach Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on Arizona Sports 98.7.

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