LeBron James’ new free agency pursuit is the saddest dating show

The most infamous moment in LeBron James’ career remains “The Decision,” in which the then-25-year-old turned picking a new team into an overblown one-hour TV special that will never be repeated. Now, we’re getting the modern equivalent of it — and it’s sad as hell.

Rather than just picking a team and moving on, the entire LeBron courtship has turned into fuel for Rich Paul’s podcast, and that fire was given more oxygen on Tuesday when Sixers president Bob Myers went on the show to make a public pitch to LeBron, rather than talking to him in private.

It’s one thing to watch the greatest basketball player on the planet self-produce his own free agency broadcast, but it’s on a whole other level to see an NBA executive fawn over LeBron like the contestant on a dating show. It’s all so sad, and so transparent — because Rob Myers doesn’t give a rat’s ass about Rich Paul’s podcast, but understands it’s the cost of doing business when it comes to trying to land LeBron.

Frustrating, execs like Myers understand that James legitimately does give them a better chance of winning. At this point in his career the 41-year-old has become the ultimate glue guy who can functionally fit into any lineup and be a factor, which is an incredible proposition for a team like the Sixers who now have Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey — but critically miss the connective piece that could really push them over the top.

Now we need to wait and see if any other NBA general managers follow suit. Will more line up to appear next to Rich Paul and make their pitch? I hope not, but in this era … yeah, it’s going to happen.