Want to be a true-blue (and red) Philadelphian, LeBron? Let us help.
The Phillie Phanatic welcomes LeBron James to Philly. / Photograph by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images
Dear LeBron,
One of the more lovable details about you — the one that makes you seem both good for and of Philadelphia right now — is this: You have repeatedly said that your favorite stat is not how many baskets you sink (even though you’re the NBA’s all-time leading scorer), but how many assists you dish out.
You’re a helper. And Philadelphia loves a helper.
We’re also here to help. And now that you’re finally here with us, we have some suggestions for how to fit in, how to do — and be — Philly.
First of all, you may not know it, but Philly is the foodiest town you’ve ever played in. (Hear that, L.A.? Standing by it.)
You’re going to want to start with North Broad’s Honeysuckle, run by James Beard Award–winning Omar Tate and Cybille St.Aude-Tate, where every dish tells a story based on the Black American experience. As our critic Jason Sheehan recently wrote: “It is rooted in the personal but speaks to the universal. It is funny, literate … snarky, emotional (be sure to ask for the backstory of the ‘McDonald’s Money’ burger), and smart.”
The bread course at Honeysuckle is based on Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower. / Photograph by Gab Bonghi
Then there’s the cheesesteak. Everyone has their favorite version of the most iconic of Philly sandwiches (Jim’s, Dalessandro’s, Angelo’s … ), but given your stated affection for mobster movies, we’re going to make an unconventional rec: South Philly’s Skinny Joey’s, named for its proprietor, “Skinny” Joey Merlino, the apparently no-longer-mobbed-up son of mobster Salvatore “Chuckie” Merlino. (Just don’t talk to him about any of those movies you love. Merlino told Philly Mag’s Victor Fiorillo he thinks they’re all just “bullshit! All those movies are bullshit. Fake.”)
True story: You can buy a Skinny Joey’s “LBJ 23” T-shirt for $40 on theskinnyjoeyscheesesteaks.com
BS those movies may be, but that doesn’t mean life doesn’t sometimes imitate art. Take Dante & Luigi’s, a traditional South Philly gravy joint with a classic South Philly past you might get a kick out of: On Halloween in 1989, it was famously the site of an attempted mob hit, when a masked gunman carrying a trick-or-treat bag sprayed bullets at Nicky Scarfo Jr., (another) son of a(nother) former mobster.
Oh, and here’s another now-famous detail everyone loves: You’re a reader, of actual printed books (be still our hearts!), including Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Leadership in Turbulent Times and fiction like The Alchemist, recommended by your trainer and pal, Mike Mancias. You’ve come to the right town, a city with a preponderance of local bookstores of almost every kind imaginable, in almost every neighborhood. A few you might seek out: Black-owned Harriett’s Bookshop in Fishtown and Uncle Bobbie’s in Germantown, volunteer-run West Philly staple Bindlestiff Books, Molly’s Books and Records in the Italian Market, and Head House Books in Queen Village. But also, hey, we don’t want to assume what you’re into. Maybe you’d like some “romantasy”? Try Fairmount’s The Broken Spine — Philly’s first romance bookstore, with a vast and passionate collection of the genre.
The 1988 Paulo Coelho novel is an NBA favorite: The late Kobe Bryant loved it; so do Kyrie Irving and Lakers GM Rob Pelinka.
Once upon a time (okay, last year), you told Bleacher Report, “Basketball is such a rhythm. It’s literally like R&B; there’s a rhythm and blues feel to it. You move a certain way, you feel a certain way while you’re out there. Me being able to use that rhythm and blues, and then get to a hip-hop section where now I’m being a little bit more hardcore with it, or then I slow it down with a little jazz and pizzazz.”
When the LeBron news broke in July, Mill wrote on X: “Philly on tilt” with six crown emoji. / Photograph via Getty Images
Which made us think you are a man who will appreciate Philly’s musical range, from rappers (most obviously, Meek Mill, whose “Dreams and Nightmares” you hyped after your signing, and who released a new album this summer) to our Philly Orchestra, which has an amazing season planned. It happens to be packed with Beethoven, the composer you’ve said helps you calm down between an intense workout and a game. In February, you can check out that other GOAT, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conducting Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony; in May, catch superstar pianist Yuja Wang, a Curtis Institute grad (and the most fun-to-watch classical pianist in history), playing Piano Concerto No. 1.
Known for his exuberant conducting style, Nézet-Séguin has said that he trains and cares for his body like an athlete. / Photograph by Landon Nordeman
Oh, and one more rec if you’re in the mood for your other musical love, jazz: South Restaurant and Jazz Club, the Bynum Brothers’ stylish North Broad venue, features live music from local and national artists several times a week.
Speaking of good style: Let us point you to the sparkling new Rittenhouse flagship store of Mitchell & Ness, which will fit you with all the classic Sixers gear you’ll need. For off-the-court kicks, there’s Blue Sole Shoes, where owner Steve Jamison curates a sophisticated selection of loafers, monk straps, lace-ups, and casual shoes; for custom suits, you’ll want Old City’s Cadrae, from two of the people behind the old Damari, former Eagle Malcolm Jenkins’s bespoke suit label. Meanwhile, for a funkier look, consider Hamid Hollomon, who makes one-of-a-kind military-inspired pieces from repurposed fabrics.
The three-story Mitchell & Ness boasts a massive hat wall (plus a customization station) and an entire floor of jerseys. / Photograph courtesy of Mitchell & Ness
It seems you’ve taken up golf. Saquon Barkley — who, as you no doubt saw, has invited you to tee off with him — loves the legendary Merion Golf Course, but there’s also the Bellevue gym, where Sporting Club CEO Robert Kram has offered you a free membership. (And they have nifty pro golf simulators for when it gets cold.) Oh, and Cobbs Creek, a public golf course with a long history in the city’s African American community, has recently reopened with spectacular upgrades and a double-decker driving range.
The historic 18-hole course at Cobbs Creek is slated to reopen next summer. / Photograph courtesy of Cobbs Creek
You’re quieter about your lesser-known hobby: sketching. If you want to kick your skills up a notch, we have a place for that, too. Philadelphia Sketch Club, America’s oldest artists club (1860! One of many firsts here, LeBron), offers open studio workshops with live models every evening but Friday in its Camac Street clubhouse. Who knows? Maybe a piece of yours will be accepted into one of their group shows.
And speaking of art, did you know we have more public art than any other city in America? That now includes several depictions of you, including a brand-new mural on the side of a sushi restaurant in Fairmount, a mosaic at 8th and Market, and a soaring image of you leaping over Billy Penn in Chinatown. Check ’em out, and then take yourself on a Mural Arts tour, a rite of passage for anyone wanting to understand Philly’s unique neighborhoods. One not to miss: Poplar’s legendary larger-than-life 1990 depiction of Dr. J — whom the artist painted in a suit to convey that he (like you) is a role model beyond the court.
It’s rumored that Dr. J teared up when he saw his three-story mural. / Photograph by Image Professionals GmbH/Alamay
Finally, worth the mention: In 2025, our sister pub, The Philadelphia Citizen, honored another Philly sports superstar, Jalen Hurts, with its Citizen of the Year Award — not for winning a Super Bowl (go Birds) but for his incredible work for Philly public schools, including paying for much-needed air conditioners. You get this, obviously: Your foundation has created and funded programs for children and families in Akron.
“It’ll be exciting to have a figure like that in the city,” Hurts said in July. “What he’s done. One of the greatest to ever do it.” / Photograph via Getty Images
Truth is, LeBron, it wouldn’t go amiss here if you showed some of that same love for Philly’s young people. Like Hurts, you could donate money to help fix our school buildings; many need air conditioning and asbestos removal. Or pay for teachers’ classroom projects through Donors Choose. Or just show up to inspire students with your story of hard work, passion, and generosity. True, probably none of the kids you talk to will become NBA stars … but every kid could use a road map for following their dreams.
We’d also invite you to talk, loudly and often, about one of our shared passions: voting. In 2020, you and several other Black athletes and stars launched More Than A Vote to encourage citizens to cast a ballot and to fight voter suppression. That work is needed even more now than it was then, thanks to the Supreme Court–endorsed voter suppression efforts around the country. Also, consider the truth that in Philly’s last mayoral election, voter turnout hovered around a dismaying 30 percent. Thirty percent!
Meanwhile, you know what Philadelphians do show up for, every single time? Sports. A good game. A player with real heart. So: Can you do some talking yourself about the importance of voting? We’d love it. Your new favorite city — not to mention our democracy — thanks you in advance.
With love and hope,
Your Philly fans
>> Click here to return to A Philly Mag Guide to the LeBron Era
Published as “The King James Bible” in the October 2026 issue of Philadelphia magazine.