Before LeBron James chose the Philadelphia 76ers, some NBA rumors hinted that he might be hesitant to go to Philly due to the presence of Joel Embiid. Many fans bought into that assumption because of Embiid's struggles to stay healthy.
While the narrative was clearly false, as James signed a shocking discount contract to link with the 76ers potentially for the next two seasons, there is still a large number of fans who assume that James will do what it takes to get Embiid swapped out for his old teammate, Anthony Davis.
When LeBron James finally broke his silence on joining the 76ers in the latest episode of Mind The Game, he highlighted the impact that each star teammate had on his decision. LeBron saved Embiid for last, and he doesn't sound like somebody who wants to come in and push the big man out.
LeBron James destroys the Joel Embiid narrative
James went on to acknowledge that Embiid has accomplished everything there is to accomplish as a player, but winning a championship is not on the 76ers superstar's resume. In the King's eyes, he doesn't believe that's right.
"I want to try to help him get that first one," James said.
Embiid has seven All-Star nods, five All-NBA nods, three All-Defensive honors, a two-time scoring title, and an MVP award that he earned during the 2022-2023 NBA season. But getting past the second round has been the biggest challenge for the 76ers during the Embiid era.
James might not be the MVP-caliber player he was earlier in his career, but his fit with the 76ers as a complementary piece makes them one of the top contenders on paper. If it all comes together, then the sky is the limit for the new-look Sixers, who added Jaylen Brown and James while retaining Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe.
"I hope that I can be kind of that final little piece that can help him get over the hump, and have him see maybe just see it a little bit differently than he's seen it in his career, as far as like the day-to-day process, the day-to-day what it takes to get there," James finished.
The presence of LeBron won't magically fix Embiid's biggest concern, which is his lack of availability due to injuries. But even if a slight change in his preparation can contribute to squeezing out a few more games when it's crunch time, then the Sixers could be in a great spot in 2026-2027.
