Jason Williams Is Willing to Shave His Eyebrow Over a Magic-Sixers Bet

LeBron James went to Philadelphia. Everyone nodded along like it was inevitable. The Sixers added a 2024 Finals MVP in Jaylen Brown before that. They already had Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and rookie VJ Edgecombe. On paper, it’s one of the most loaded rosters the league has seen in years. But Jason Williams isn’t buying what the Sixers are selling.

The former Miami Heat guard laid down a bet that sounds insane unless you really, really believe in Orlando. During a recent episode of his podcast Hoopin’ N Hollerin’, Williams said the Magic will finish with a better record than the Sixers next season. Not just close. Better. And he’s putting body parts on it.

“I will put my left eyebrow, shave it all the way off, and you all gotta shave your right eyebrows off,” Williams said.

His co-host Adam “Rone” Ferrone immediately asked if Williams was high. Which is a fair question. Because on the surface, this take is buckwild. The Sixers just added LeBron James to a team that already had Embiid, Maxey, and Brown. They’ve got three guys who can get you 30 on any given night and a rookie who looked comfortable in summer league.

But Williams sees something. Maybe it’s the Embiid health lottery. Maybe it’s the chemistry questions that come with plugging a 40-year-old LeBron into an offense that already had to figure out how to share the ball between Brown and Maxey. Or maybe he just really likes what Orlando is building.

The Magic aren’t exactly a punchline anymore. They’ve got Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and a defensive identity that gave teams fits last season. They added some shooting in the offseason. They’re young, they’re long, and they’re not afraid of anybody. Still, picking them to finish ahead of a team with four All-Star caliber players is a leap.

Barstool Sports clipped the segment and posted it. The internet did its thing. A few people pointed out that the Sixers still have roster holes to fill. Andre Drummond left in free agency, and Philadelphia doesn’t have a proven backup for Embiid. That matters when your star center has a history of missing games. But the Sixers have time to add depth, and they’ve shown they’re willing to spend.

Williams isn’t backing down. He doubled down on the eyebrow bet. Which means either he’s about to look very silly or he knows something the rest of us don’t. Either way, it’s going to be a fun season in the East.

The Sixers open as favorites in just about every power ranking. The Magic are projected somewhere in the play-in range. Williams might lose that eyebrow by Christmas. Or he might end up looking like the only guy who saw this coming.