'Trust The Process': LeBron James hinted 76ers, then completes the grand plan with decision

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LeBron James may have been dropping a hint, or he may have just been using three words.

At Fanatics Fest, while speaking about what he was looking for as a free agent, James said, "I want to compete at a high level. I want to join a franchise that kind of shares the same motto as myself and that's practicing championship habits every day, but trusting the process more than anything."

Fans immediately noticed "trusting the process." It essentially tied right into the Philadelphia 76ers' famed motto to "Trust The Process" in the midst of a lot of losing that was meant to eventually turn the franchise into winners.

Later, LeBron pushed back on the idea that it was a hint, saying, "I've been saying 'trust the process' since I was drafted in, like, 2003. I don't know if (Joel) Embiid was even born yet."

Note for LeBron: Embiid was born then.

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Regardless of hint or not, LeBron has decided to trust this process. He's going to Philadelphia.

On Friday, he chose the 76ers in free agency over the Cavaliers, Heat, Warriors and Timberwolves.

This may be his final chapter, or there somehow might be more.

But right now, James is joining the 76ers, and in some ways, it's the culmination of the "Trust The Process" era.

Embiid epitomized it in many ways. Drafted first overall, sitting to get him healthy and lose more games.

The big center has seen it all, and while the 76ers did eventually turn things around, The Process hasn't delivered an NBA championship.

But what the last decade-and-a-half in Philadelphia did do was arrive at a roster good enough to lure the King.

They aren't guaranteed to win a championship. They aren't even guaranteed to win the East.

They have, though, fulfilled The Process -- at least as much as fulfillment can come without the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

James knows how to get his hands on one of those, though. And with Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe by his side, it's certainly possible.

Someone can look into whether LeBron has really been saying "trust the process" since his rookie year.

But if he has, this turns out to be a slice of destiny.