Love Philly? So do we. Let’s be friends. Sign up for the Billy Penn newsletter today.
Philadelphians usually take a minute to warm up to the idea of an outsider coming in. That is, unless that newcomer is LeBron James.
It’s been less than a month since James made the announcement that he would be coming to City of Brotherly Love. Like any positive local sports development, the news sparked a nearly euphoric city-wide mood. All fans can do now is trust the process.
“We’re going to probably win the whole thing,” eight-year-old Sixers fan Jordan Daily told Billy Penn the Friday that James made the announcement.
Although the four-time NBA champion has not yet donned a Sixers jersey, his image is already popping up on city walls.
One street artist, known as ‘irregular,’ posted his mirrored mosaic on 8th and Market Streets on Instagram, with the caption “there’s a new king and it’s you.”
“I see [sports] as the true glue of the city,” irregular, whose full name is Sean Hassett, told the Inquirer. “I remember the Eagles parade, and I have a bit of social anxiety. I don’t like large groups, but [at] that parade I was literally shoulder-to-shoulder, toe-to-toe with people, and there was nothing better than the energy there.
“I think we’re going to get that back. We think this year was great, but I think there’s just more great years to come here in Philly.”
And that’s not the only one. Street art around the city is welcoming the King. Muralist Bill Strobel created an homage to James on the side of the Japanese restaurant Javelin in Fairmount.
Of course, there is already some pushback against the hype. Strobel’s piece has been spray-painted over with biting words, “Ain’t no party like a diddy party” — showing the brutal and classically unforgiving side of Philly fandom. Hassett’s piece, which was on the walls of an old Burger King, is also already coming off.
However, new work is always on the way. The Philly artist Chenlin Cai just put up a James mural with the athlete dunking next to William Penn in front of tsunami waves. The image is a reference to one of James’ most iconic sports photos.
“Just as in the legend where a fish that leaps over the Dragon’s Gate transforms into a dragon, LeBron’s arrival in Philadelphia portends that his career will reach new peaks. As LeBron soared through the air, the waves rose up and transformed into a dragon,” Cai said in a statement.
He added “LeBron has found not just honor here, but a true home. I hope he will bring positive influence to this city and Chinatown.”
Overall, the sentiment around James appears positive and filled with excitement. There’s even “LeBron Welcome to Philadelphia!” billboards along I-95. Artists like The 666 Cat and Rob Nero are creating LeBron-themed Sixers T-shirts. Even bigger brands, like Mitchell & Ness, are selling items declaring that “The King is Here.”
On Oct. 20, James is officially making his debut with the 76ers against the NBA champion Knicks. Now that the King is indeed coming, we can only imagine the art James would inspire if the Sixers can finally deliver a championship.
