WILMINGTON, DE - For a handful of 76ers hopefuls, training camp was about more than just chasing a roster spot. It was also a chance to share the floor with stars they had grown up watching, and for Saint Thomas, that meant standing in the same gym as LeBron James.
Thomas was one of six 76ers on an Exhibit 10 contract battling for a place on the roster during camp, and the experience took on extra meaning because Philadelphia was working in seven new players to its standard roster, James included. Thomas said James kept calling his name during practice, which made the moment hit even harder.
“I thought that was a fun experience because [James] just said my name and he was always like, saying my name,” Thomas said. “As a kid growing up, LeBron was my favorite player.
He's the GOAT for sure, probably. Him saying my name and stuff in practice was a dream from true.”
James even had a little fun with Thomas and Adem Bona during one practice. After scoring a layup over Bona, James joked that Bona would have been cut if he had accidentally hit James’ head. Because James is bald, he told Bona in jest that if he hit Thomas, who has a full head of hair, there wouldn’t be a consequence.
Thomas wasn’t the only one who left camp with a story to tell. At the Blue Coats’ Media Day on Nov. 4, Thomas, guards Jameer Nelson Jr. and Duke Miles, and forward Dillon Jones all looked back on their time with Philadelphia before settling in with Delaware.
Jones, who has already spent two seasons in the NBA after suiting up for the Thunder in 2024-25 and the Knicks last season, has been around some of the league’s biggest names. He said James lived up to everything he’d heard.
“You hear all the stuff about [James] and it was dope to see that everything you hear about him is actually true,” Jones said. “[Not] just like a story or people trying to boost up his image-he walks that walk every day; loudest person in the gym, he's communicating, very vocal. He’s still so locked in; amazing what he’s doing at his age.”
Nelson’s favorite memory from being with the 76ers had less to do with one superstar and more to do with where he sat. His locker was next to Jaylen Brown’s, and he said he tried to absorb as much as he could from Brown and the rest of the group. What stuck with him was how quickly the NBA moves and how important it is to stay locked in regardless of minutes.
Nelson also drew extra attention because he is the son of Jameer Nelson, the 76ers’ Vice President of Basketball Operations. Even so, he said most of his conversation about Philadelphia came with Mike Gansey rather than his father.
“If he wasn't my dad, I’d probably think Gansey liked me more,” Nelson said in a joking manner. “If I have 20 [points], [Jameer Nelson] probably won’t say nothing because he probably expects that and he wants more, so that’s good.”
Miles had a different path into the mix. He was Philadelphia’s only UDFA signing and stayed with the team from Summer League through training camp. He also had a built-in connection with Labaron Philon Jr., since both are from Alabama, and Miles called Philon his “young buck.”
The Blue Coats opened their season on Saturday against the Capital City Go-Go, and Miles said the lessons from Philadelphia will carry over. What stood out most to him was the steady mindset the veterans brought every day.
“Never get too high, never get too low; always stay even-keeled,” Miles said of what he learned from Philadelphia’s stars. “They don’t ever let one play where they mess up determine the kind of basketball players they are. And even when they're doing good, they still remain the same players.”
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