Philadelphia’s biggest sports story of the summer has been the Sixers’ signing of LeBron James.

Unless the Phillies make a blockbuster trade or something dramatic happens at Eagles training camp, James’ arrival is the biggest story in town.

James is the highest-profile player to join the Sixers since Julius Erving. Ironically, Erving and Wilt Chamberlain helped lead Philadelphia to its last two NBA championships.

Erving needed seven seasons to win a title, while Chamberlain captured one in his second full season.

So, can James lead the Sixers to one — or even two — championships over the next two seasons?

If he does, the 41-year-old James is essentially a two-year rental and — unless he delivers two memorable seasons and two championships — shouldn’t be included in any Philly G.O.A.T. conversation. Some media members have already anointed him to that category.

Wait ... there was someone else who helped take the Sixers to the promised land in 1983.

In this version of my Yesterday column — where I reminisce about sports and pop culture from the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s, and sometimes before and beyond — I’ll look back at some legendary stars who ended their careers in unexpected places. I’ll also recall a few highlights from this week in 1983.

Thinking back, did you have a Wooly Willy? Where did Reggie White end his career? What TV show had the most-watched series finale in 1983? Who were the former champion and the current champion who won the WWF Tag Team Championship in 1980?

First Trip ... James’ first official visit to Philadelphia came Dec. 19, 2003, when he poured in 36 points, grabbed four rebounds and dished out five assists in an 88-81 victory.

In his first game against the Sixers in Cleveland, James had 22 points, five rebounds and eight assists in a 91-85 victory on Nov. 15.

But James’ first appearance in Philadelphia came as a senior at Ohio powerhouse St. Vincent-St. Mary against Strawberry Mansion, led by Maureece Rice, who was then closing in on Wilt Chamberlain’s Philadelphia high school scoring record, at the Palestra in December 2002.

The Palestra’s official capacity was 8,117, but it was estimated that roughly 9,000 people packed the building.

James didn’t disappoint. He finished with 28 points, eight rebounds, five assists and seven steals in an 85-47 blowout.

Making A House Call ... Was Dr. J going to be a New York Knick? He actually should have been, but the Knicks turned down a proposed deal for him. Yes, this isn’t a typo.

Nets owner Roy Boe faced a financial crunch when he needed to pay a $3 million fee to enter the NBA for the 1976-77 season, but the Knicks also demanded a $5 million territorial fee.

Boe offered Dr. J to the Knicks to defer the territorial fee, but New York rejected the proposal.

Instead, Boe — facing mounting financial pressure — dealt Erving to the Sixers, who paid nearly $6 million to satisfy the financial obligations.

It Was Painful in ‘83 ... The final episode of “MAS*H” aired Feb. 28, 1983, drawing 105.97 million viewers and a total audience of 121.6 million — more than both Super Bowl XVII and the successful Roots miniseries.

The episode surpassed the single-episode ratings record set by the Dallas episode that resolved the “Who Shot J.R.?” cliffhanger, which drew 83 million viewers.

Its classic instrumental theme song was “Suicide Is Painless.”

A.I. and Wali ... Did Allen Iverson begin and finish his career with the Sixers? Not quite. He spent a brief stint with Memphis before returning to Philadelphia during the 2009-10 season.

Wali Jones, another famous Sixer, finished his career in Philadelphia during the 1975-76 season.

On The Charts ... This week in 1983, these were the top five songs:

1. “Maneater,” Hall & Oates

2. “Mickey,” Toni Basil

3. “The Girl Is Mine,” Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney

4. “Truly,” Lionel Richie

5. “Dirty Laundry,” Don Henley

How many of those do you remember?

The Philly Prophet ... In September 1982, the Sixers traded Caldwell Jones and a future first-round draft pick to Houston in the deal that brought Moses Malone to Philadelphia.

Malone delivered the championship Sixers fans had been waiting for, guiding the club to the NBA title.

He led the league in rebounding (15.3), offensive rebounds (5.7) and defensive rebounds (9.6) per game. One overlooked statistic: Malone also led the NBA in free throws made (7.7) and attempted (10.7) per game.

Who Was That Other Starter? ... Along with Erving and Malone, the 1983 Sixers started Maurice Cheeks and Andrew Toney in the backcourt. But who was their fifth starter?

It was Marc Iavaroni, who signed as a free agent after playing professionally in Italy.

Iavaroni started 77 games at power forward and averaged 5.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.

He played three seasons in Philadelphia before he was dealt to San Antonio for a third-round draft pick in December 1984.

Overall, Iavaroni played seven NBA seasons with the Sixers, Spurs and Jazz, averaging 4.4 points and 3.2 rebounds.

Quick Quiz ... For what defunct ABA team did Malone begin his professional career in 1974-75?

Didn’t Make A Difference ... In Sixers lore, there have been several players who were expected to push Philadelphia toward a championship, or veterans nearing the end of their careers.

Those who had relatively brief stays and really didn’t make much of a difference included Toni Kukoc, Chris Webber, Dikembe Mutombo and Bob McAdoo, who played his final NBA season in Philadelphia.

Changing Addresses ... Over the years, numerous notable athletes finished their careers with teams other than the ones that made them famous.

Here are some: Willie Mays and Yogi Berra, Mets; Tom Brady, Buccaneers; Jerry Rice, Raiders; Hakeem Olajuwon, Raptors; Shaquille O’Neal, Celtics; Joe Namath, Rams; Johnny Unitas, Chargers; Michael Jordan, Wizards; Joe Montana, Chiefs; Brett Favre, Vikings; Earl Campbell, Saints; Eddie George, Cowboys; and Franco Harris, Seahawks.

As you can see, only Brady managed to win another championship.

Found A Different Nest ... Several noteworthy Eagles players built their final NFL nests somewhere other than Philadelphia.

See how many you remember:

Harold Carmichael, Cowboys; Ron Jaworski, Chiefs; Reggie White, Panthers; Randall Cunningham, Vikings; Brian Dawkins, Broncos; and Donovan McNabb, Vikings.

Quick Quiz Answer ... Malone began his professional career with the Utah Stars, averaging 18.8 points and 14.6 rebounds while leading the league in offensive rebounds (5.5) per game.

WWWF/WWE Wrap ... In each column, I’ll revisit a former wrestler many of us likely watched growing up while staying within the theme of the column.

Pedro Morales won the WWWF heavyweight championship and held it for one of the longest reigns in history, lasting 1,027 days before losing to Stan “The Man” Stasiak, known for his heart punch. Morales left the WWWF in 1975.

He later returned to the WWF in 1980, when he and heavyweight champion Bob Backlund won the WWF Tag Team Championship by defeating Afa and Sika, The Wild Samoans.

Morales later held the WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship from 1981-83. He also won the WWC North American Heavyweight Championship.

Overall, he compiled a career record of 2,031-591-367 from 1958-87. Morales died in 2019 at age 76.

Dress You Up ... Do you remember Wooly Willy?

It was a classic magnetic-wand toy introduced in 1955 that soared in popularity during the 1960s and ‘70s.

Using the magnetic wand to move iron filings, you could create whiskers, sideburns, mustaches or different hairstyles on Wooly Willy’s face. You simply held the 7-inch by 8¾-inch board flat to draw and tilted it to one side to start over. The self-contained package made it easy to play with almost anywhere.

It was a toy many of us probably owned at one point, though we likely didn’t spend much time playing with it.

Your thoughts are always welcome and will be published. Email them to tnsports@tnonline.com.

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