PHILADELPHIA -- Nobody in Philly can relate more to LeBron James’ signing with the 76ers than Phillies superstar Bryce Harper.
When news broke on Feb. 28, 2019, that Harper and the Phillies had agreed to a 13-year, $330 million contract, the excitement was immediate and real. The Phillies sold 100,000 tickets within hours of the news. They said it was the most tickets they had ever sold in one day.
They sold 80,000 tickets the next day.
“Obviously, he’s one of the greatest ever to do it,” Harper said before Friday’s series opener against the Yankees. “He’s done it for a long time. I mean, there's four guys over there in that starting lineup, they’re probably really happy. It’s [76ers head coach] Nick Nurse’s birthday today, too. But the city is on fire about it. I mean, how could you not be? It’s LeBron James.”
Asked if he could tell how Phillies fans felt in the hours after the news broke, he said he couldn’t.
But he said he does appreciate the impact it made on the franchise and city.
“I mean, I don't think at the time I really thought about it at that point,” Harper said. “Obviously that free agency was crazy. I didn’t know where I was going and things like that. But now looking back on it, obviously, I think my signing kind of changed the trajectory of the last seven years. Like, if I don't sign here, you never know what other free agents aren't going to come or are going to come, if Kyle [Schwarber’s] ever here, or Trea [Turner], or J.T. [Realmuto], or anybody else. So, definitely it’s been a great situation.”