LeBron James’ move from the Lakers to the 76ers has given him a different kind of buzz, and Bill Simmons thinks the reason is pretty simple: the fit feels better, and the path to the NBA Finals might actually be real.
Simmons pointed to two things behind James’ new energy in Philadelphia. First, he believes the 76ers could be in position to reach the NBA Finals in 2027. Second, he thinks James is enjoying life alongside Tyrese Maxey in a way he never did with Luka Doncic.
“LeBron seems like you could see the light bulb going off with him. Like, Holy s**t, I might actually have a chance to make the finals and yeah, I'll play some center.
Sure. Um, I, I'm going to bring this like did MJ ever play center for a team that was a possible finalist in Thunder,”
Bill Simmons on LeBron James with the Sixers 👀
— NBABase (@TheNBABase) November 4, 2026
"He obviously has a great relationship with Maxey. I don't think the relationship with Luka was good. And I think we can safely say that. LeBron last year seemed pretty miserable the whole season and knew it wasn't his team." pic.twitter.com/cSOTBKvL19
Simmons also made it clear he saw a major difference in James’ demeanor this time around.
“So you can see, I agree with you, He seemed super happy. He obviously has a great relationship with, uh, with, with Maxey.
I don't think the relationship with Luka was good, and I think we can safely say that. I don't, I, LeBron last year seemed pretty miserable the whole season, um, and knew he wasn't, it wasn't his team.
This time he goes on, he's like, he knew it was Maxey's team, he signed up for it. Anyway, good start for them.”
The idea that James and Doncic didn’t mesh is a bold one, but the bigger point is hard to miss: James looks comfortable in Philadelphia. At Xfinity Mobile Arena, he’s been all smiles while running the offense with Maxey, Jaylen Brown, and Joel Embiid.
If Nick Nurse can keep the personalities in line and Mike Gansey can find a solid backup center, the 76ers might have something worth chasing. And if that chase goes the right way, James could be eyeing a fifth ring to go with a statue in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex.
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