PHILADELPHIA — LeBron James yelled at Joel Embiid for being late to a Philadelphia 76ers practice, according to Mike Breen.
During the 76ers-New York Knicks preseason game on Monday (10/5), Breen — calling the game for the Knicks — revealed that someone told him Philadelphia is raving about James’ leadership skills.
“They’re raving about how he’s been so far,” Breen said. “Obviously it’s only a week of camp, but I had somebody tell me before the game that they were out ready to practice, and Joel Embiid walked out on the court a couple of minutes late, and LeBron let him hear it.”
James signed a two-year deal with the 76ers in free agency. Philadelphia has a talented starting lineup of Embiid, James, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.
However, to win a championship, the 76ers have to exhibit title habits all season, and that means showing up to practice on time.
LeBron On Embiid: ‘I Want To Try To Help Him Get That First One’
On the latest episode of his podcast with Hall of Famer Steve Nash, James spoke about his decision to sign with the 76ers.
While James talked about his tight relationship with Maxey and how the blockbuster Brown trade was an “intriguing piece,” the NBA legend’s desire to help Embiid win a championship played a significant role.
“One of the most important, to be honest, is the big fella,” James said. “He’s done everything in our league, and the only thing he has not done and that’s win a championship. And I want to try to help him get that first one. He’s been MVP of our league, has a gold medal, All-Stars, signature shoes, bunch of money, beautiful family, he has everything.
“He has the city on his back. It’s been the process, you know, for what, 10 years, 12 years or however long he’s been there. But I mean, I think it’s time now that we even dig even deeper into the process, and I hope that I can be kind of that final little piece that can help him get over the hump.”
James and Embiid were teammates on Team USA in the summer of 2024. The two All-Stars helped the United States win the gold medal.
Embiid is a seven-time All-Star, two-time scoring champion and one-time MVP.
Meanwhile, James is arguably the greatest player of all time. He’s a four-time MVP, four-time champion, four-time Finals MVP, one-time scoring champion and one-time assists champion.
The 41-year-old James is first in NBA history in points, field goals, games and minutes.
“Going into this year, we just want to get as much time as possible with each other on and off the court, try to create those relationships, which we already have,” Embiid said at Philadelphia media day. “And then build from there. Every single day, wins and losses, learn something and keep evolving. Obviously, everyone has the same goal, and we’ve got to find a way to accomplish it. Day by day, keep getting better.”
Embiid Opens Up About LeBron’s Comments
During an interview with Malika Andrews of ESPN, Embiid opened up about James saying he signed with the 76ers to help him win his first championship.
Embiid has never advanced past the second round of the playoffs, while James has been to 10 NBA Finals.
“You’re talking about one of the greatest players who ever played, if not the greatest,” Embiid said. “To have him say that, it kind of validates, not so much what I’ve accomplished, but the way my peers might think about me. I’m at the point in my career where I need to win. Between everything that’s happened, that would be a good ending for the city of Philadelphia. And they deserve it.”
The 76ers have three games left in the preseason before the season opener against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on October 20.
