{"id":303464,"date":"2026-10-10T01:10:13","date_gmt":"2026-10-10T01:10:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/303464\/"},"modified":"2026-10-10T01:10:13","modified_gmt":"2026-10-10T01:10:13","slug":"the-king-james-bible-a-philly-guide-for-lebron","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/303464\/","title":{"rendered":"The King James Bible: A Philly Guide for LeBron"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNews<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Want to be a true-blue (and red) Philadelphian, LeBron? Let us help. <\/p>\n

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The Phillie Phanatic welcomes LeBron James to Philly. \/ Photograph by Emilee Chinn\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Dear LeBron,<\/p>\n

One of the more lovable details about you \u2014 the one that makes you seem both good for and of Philadelphia right now \u2014 is this: You have repeatedly said that your favorite stat is not how many baskets you sink (even though you\u2019re the NBA\u2019s all-time leading scorer), but how many assists you dish out.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re a helper. And Philadelphia loves a helper.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re also here to help. And now that you\u2019re finally here with us, we have some suggestions for how to fit in, how to do \u2014 and be \u2014 Philly.<\/p>\n

First of all, you may not know it, but Philly is the foodiest town you\u2019ve ever played in. (Hear that, L.A.? Standing by it.)<\/p>\n

You\u2019re going to want to start with North Broad\u2019s Honeysuckle<\/a>, run by James Beard Award\u2013winning 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: \u201cIt is rooted in the personal but speaks to the universal. It is funny, literate \u2026 snarky, emotional (be sure to ask for the backstory of the \u2018McDonald\u2019s Money\u2019 burger), and smart.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The bread course at Honeysuckle is based on Octavia Butler\u2019s Parable of the Sower. \/ Photograph by Gab Bonghi<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the cheesesteak. Everyone has their favorite version of the most iconic of Philly sandwiches (Jim\u2019s, Dalessandro\u2019s, Angelo\u2019s \u2026 ), but given your stated affection for mobster movies, we\u2019re going to make an unconventional rec: South Philly\u2019s Skinny Joey\u2019s<\/a>, named for its proprietor, \u201cSkinny\u201d Joey Merlino<\/a>, the apparently no-longer-mobbed-up son of mobster Salvatore \u201cChuckie\u201d Merlino. (Just don\u2019t talk to him about any of those movies you love. Merlino told Philly Mag\u2019s Victor Fiorillo he thinks they\u2019re all just \u201cbullshit! All those movies are bullshit. Fake.\u201d)<\/p>\n

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True story: You can buy a Skinny Joey\u2019s \u201cLBJ 23\u201d T-shirt for $40 on theskinnyjoeyscheesesteaks.com<\/a><\/p>\n

BS those movies may be, but that doesn\u2019t mean life doesn\u2019t sometimes imitate art. Take Dante & Luigi\u2019s<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n

Oh, and here\u2019s another now-famous detail everyone loves: You\u2019re a reader, of actual printed books (be still our hearts!), including Doris Kearns Goodwin\u2019s Leadership in Turbulent Times and fiction like The Alchemist<\/a>, recommended by your trainer and pal, Mike Mancias. You\u2019ve 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\u2019s Bookshop<\/a> in Fishtown and Uncle Bobbie\u2019s<\/a> in Germantown, volunteer-run West Philly staple Bindle\u00adstiff Books<\/a>, Molly\u2019s Books and Records<\/a> in the Italian Market, and Head House Books<\/a> in Queen Village. But also, hey, we don\u2019t want to assume what you\u2019re into. Maybe you\u2019d like some \u201cromantasy\u201d? Try Fairmount\u2019s The Broken Spine<\/a> \u2014 Philly\u2019s first romance bookstore, with a vast and passionate collection of the genre.<\/p>\n

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The 1988 Paulo Coelho novel is an NBA favorite: The late Kobe Bryant loved it; so do Kyrie Irving and Lakers GM Rob Pelinka.<\/p>\n

Once upon a time (okay, last year), you told Bleacher Report<\/a>, \u201cBasketball is such a rhythm. It\u2019s literally like R&B; there\u2019s a rhythm and blues feel to it. You move a certain way, you feel a certain way while you\u2019re out there. Me being able to use that rhythm and blues, and then get to a hip-hop section where now I\u2019m being a little bit more hardcore with it, or then I slow it down with a little jazz and pizzazz.\u201d<\/p>\n

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When the LeBron news broke in July, Mill wrote on X: \u201cPhilly on tilt\u201d with six crown emoji. \/ Photograph via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Which made us think you are a man who will appreciate Philly\u2019s musical range, from rappers (most obviously, Meek Mill, whose \u201cDreams and Nightmares\u201d 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\u2019ve said helps you calm down between an intense workout and a game. In February, you can check out that other GOAT, Yannick N\u00e9zet-S\u00e9guin, conducting Beethoven\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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Known for his exuberant conducting style, N\u00e9zet-S\u00e9guin has said that he trains and cares for his body like an athlete. \/ Photograph by Landon Nordeman<\/p>\n

Oh, and one more rec if you\u2019re in the mood for your other musical love, jazz: South Restaurant and Jazz Club<\/a>, the Bynum Brothers\u2019 stylish North Broad venue, features live music from local and national artists several times a week.<\/p>\n

Speaking of good style: Let us point you to the sparkling new Rittenhouse flagship store of Mitchell & Ness<\/a>, which will fit you with all the classic Sixers gear you\u2019ll need. For off-the-court kicks, there\u2019s Blue Sole Shoes<\/a>, where owner Steve Jamison curates a sophisticated selection of loafers, monk straps, lace-ups, and casual shoes; for custom suits, you\u2019ll want Old City\u2019s Cadrae<\/a>, from two of the people behind the old Damari, former Eagle Malcolm Jenkins\u2019s bespoke suit label. Meanwhile, for a funkier look, consider Hamid Hollomon<\/a>, who makes one-of-a-kind military-inspired pieces from repurposed fabrics.<\/p>\n

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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<\/p>\n

It seems you\u2019ve taken up golf. Saquon Barkley \u2014 who, as you no doubt saw, has invited you to tee off with him \u2014 loves the legendary Merion Golf Course<\/a>, but there\u2019s 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>, a public golf course with a long history in the city\u2019s African American community, has recently reopened with spectacular upgrades and a double-decker driving range.<\/p>\n

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The historic 18-hole course at Cobbs Creek is slated to reopen next summer. \/ Photograph courtesy of Cobbs Creek<\/p>\n

You\u2019re 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<\/a>, America\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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 \u2019em out, and then take yourself on a Mural Arts tour<\/a>, a rite of passage for anyone wanting to understand Philly\u2019s unique neighborhoods. One not to miss: Poplar\u2019s legendary larger-than-life 1990 depiction of Dr. J<\/a> \u2014 whom the artist painted in a suit to convey that he (like you) is a role model beyond the court.<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s rumored that Dr. J teared up when he saw his three-story mural. \/ Photograph by Image Professionals GmbH\/Alamay<\/p>\n

Finally, worth the mention: In 2025, our sister pub, The Philadelphia Citizen, honored another Philly sports superstar, Jalen Hurts<\/a>, with its Citizen of the Year Award \u2014 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.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019ll be exciting to have a figure like that in the city,\u201d Hurts said in July. \u201cWhat he\u2019s done. One of the greatest to ever do it.\u201d \/ Photograph via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Truth is, LeBron, it wouldn\u2019t go amiss here if you showed some of that same love for Philly\u2019s 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\u2019 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 \u2026 but every kid could use a road map for following their dreams.<\/p>\n

We\u2019d 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\u2013endorsed voter suppression efforts around the country. Also, consider the truth that in Philly\u2019s last mayoral election, voter turnout hovered around a dismaying 30 percent. Thirty percent!<\/p>\n

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\u2019d love it. Your new favorite city \u2014 not to mention our democracy \u2014 thanks you in advance.<\/p>\n

With love and hope,
Your Philly fans<\/p>\n

>> Click here to return to A Philly Mag Guide to the LeBron Era<\/a><\/p>\n

Published as \u201cThe King James Bible\u201d in the October 2026 issue of Philadelphia magazine.<\/p>\n