LeBron James spent 22 seasons as the guy standing across from Philadelphia. On Monday, he finally walked into 76ers media day wearing the colors of the city that used to boo him from the other side.
James, now in a red, white and blue uniform after joining the 76ers on a veteran minimum deal, took questions in Camden, New Jersey, and didn’t waste time leaning into the moment. When his name tag slipped to the floor, he smiled and asked the room, “You guys know who I am, right?”
The bigger questions came quickly after that. James was asked whether Philadelphia would be the final stop of his NBA career, and he didn’t bite. Instead, he kept his focus squarely on the present.
"I'm just looking at it every single day, about how I can be the best version of myself," James said. "Just living in the moment. ... We'll see what happens."
That same theme carried through the rest of his appearance. James said he and his new teammates are "on the same page," and he framed his job as simple: do whatever the group needs.
"I've seen everything that this league has to offer on the floor and off the floor, so I hope every single day with my approach to the game and approach to the work that it can translate to every single guy," James said.
A major part of that adjustment is Joel Embiid, whom James played alongside at the 2024 Summer Olympics. He praised Embiid’s talent and pointed to the center’s health as the key piece of the puzzle.
"Jo is one of the most talented guys we have in the world, and obviously for him we know it's about health," James said. "I've seen he put in a lot of work on his body, his game, his mental this offseason, that is big upside not only for us as teammates but guarantee it is for him."
James also sounded ready for a different kind of relationship with Philadelphia’s fan base after years of being on the other side of it. He called the city a place where fans “know ball,” and said they’ll keep him and the team honest.
"This is a sports town," James said.
His path to Philadelphia wasn’t a one-factor decision, either. James said he had five teams on his free-agency list, and that his relationship with Tyrese Maxey mattered heavily in the process.
"Our relationship, when I broke a lot of the teams and franchises down I could possibly play for, he was one of the main deciding factors," James said of Maxey. "You saw [Rich Paul] and his podcast, he had his white board."
James also addressed V.J. Edgecombe’s role, saying the new look of the roster won’t stop Edgecombe’s development and that any sacrifices the group makes are for the team’s greater good.
And while the 76ers have not reached the Eastern Conference Finals during the Embiid era - with the franchise’s last deep postseason run coming in 2001 with Allen Iverson - James made it clear he didn’t come to Philadelphia for a quick playoff appearance.
"In order for us to be great, we have to do things that are just not comfortable. ... I didn't leave my family to lose in the second round, I know that," James said. "Work needs to be done and I’m ready to put the work in.”
He added: “We have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.”
“If we don’t do that, then we’ll be like, ‘It was a great team on paper… and we lost in the second round.’”
“I don’t wanna do that.”
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