76ers President Exclusive: LeBron James Is Unbelievable; Without the Brown Trade, We Would Never Have Gotten Him

On August 6, Beijing time, it has been a very busy summer for Mike Gansy, the President of Basketball Operations for the Philadelphia 76ers. Having arrived in Philadelphia just a few months ago, he subsequently completed a trade for Jaylen Brown and then brought in LeBron James, making a spectacular start in the City of Brotherly Love. Recently, he responded to many questions: how he recruited James to join Philadelphia, the impact of the trade for Jaylen Brown, and also revealed some of the behind-the-scenes details of this summer—

On jointly lobbying James to choose the 76ers

"The whole process lasted about a month. To be honest, to be able to recruit him... If we hadn't completed the Jaylen Brown trade, we would never have gotten James. We are very excited. I always felt we had a chance to compete because our roster, with him, is fully capable of contending for a championship, plus he has good personal relationships with some of the players on the team. Everyone in the team contributed a lot: Maxey, Embiid, Nick Nurse, and the ownership group. Everyone did their best to communicate with him and show him the advantages of Philadelphia. In the end, he chose us, and we are overjoyed."

"After trading for Jaylen Brown, I immediately called Rich Paul (James' agent) and said, 'We got Jaylen. Is there any chance James could come here?' He replied, 'Yes, this changes the situation.' Then both sides began communication. Over the next three weeks or so, they conducted a comprehensive background check on James, communicated with all our players, and also contacted other teams and various agent groups. The whole process was very lengthy, but one thing is certain: without Jaylen, there would be no James joining."

On what Brown can bring to the team

"Brown is a winner at heart. Since entering the league, counting regular season and playoffs, his total win total ranks first in the NBA. He is a two-way player, tough, with excellent self-creation ability, has played in countless tough games, and has won Finals MVP. He can play many roles. Look at his performance in Boston this year. With Jayson Tatum out for most of the time, the team had a surprising season, and he carried the team forward. He can lead as a team's core or fit perfectly into the team. That's also the highlight of this roster: on any given night, anyone can step up and be the go-to scorer."

"Brown is full of fighting spirit, extremely focused, and only wants to win. Since trading for him, I have had many conversations with him. His core thought is 'I want to win.' He is eager to win another championship. That's all he pursues, and that is very inspiring."

On evaluating James

"I worked with him in Cleveland for four years. We went to the Finals four times and won a championship for Cleveland. Spending day after day with him, you realize he is truly incredible. His on-court performance is amazing, but off the court he is even more admirable, whether it's his community service or his role as a family man. I think Philadelphia fans haven't fully realized what kind of person they are getting. He is truly unique. With him playing, the atmosphere at every game will be completely different. That experience is irreplaceable."

On what ultimately convinced James

"Perhaps we worked together before, so there is a sense of familiarity... But I think the real reason he chose to join is Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, VJ Edgecombe. Our ownership group is strong, along with Bob Myers and Nick Nurse. The entire team, from top to bottom, has a high degree of alignment in goals, and that should have impressed him."

"And of course, the fan base here. Philadelphia fans are hungry for victory and full of passion. I have only been here for two months, and I can already feel the city's boundless love for sports."