Kidd Says LeBron Would Make Cleveland the East’s Best

James returns to Cleveland on November 6 wearing a Philadelphia 76ers uniform, after signing with Philadelphia instead of Cleveland as a free agent this summer. It will be his first game at Rocket Arena since that decision, with Philadelphia looking to extend a five-game winning streak in the NBA Cup matchup.

The 76ers enter at 8-1, the Eastern Conference’s top record, while Cleveland is 4-4. Jason Kidd, a former coach of James who now works as an ESPN analyst, said Cleveland would also be 8-1 if James were on its roster, while Philadelphia might be around .500.

Kidd added that James gives a team a chance to win each night, but in Philadelphia he does not need to shoulder the same burden because of the talent around him. James is averaging 15.7 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.4 assists. Tyrese Maxey leads the 76ers with 28 points per game, Joel Embiid averages 10 rebounds, and Jaylen Brown scored 30 in Wednesday’s victory at Detroit.

Kidd was part of the Lakers’ staff when they won the 2020 championship with James. James had considered returning to Cleveland for a third stint before opting for Philadelphia. The November 6 game will put him across the court from the Cavaliers as he tries to help the 76ers keep their strong start going.