Shaquille O'Neal isn’t leaving much wiggle room for the 76ers in 2026-27. In his view, Philadelphia didn’t spend the offseason loading up on star power just to make noise - the whole operation is built for one outcome.
“This team was put together to win the championship,” O'Neal said in an appearance on SportsCenter. “And I think if they don't win the championship, as players, I think all those players will be very, very disappointed. They have all the pieces they need.”
That expectation lands on a roster that now looks loaded from top to bottom. The 76ers built around a starting five of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, VJ Edgecombe, and LeBron James, who signed on after eight seasons with the Lakers. James announced the move on social media, calling it his “last decision” after seriously weighing retirement, and said he believes he can help make Philadelphia a championship team.
O'Neal sees James as a pressure multiplier, especially for Embiid. He pointed directly at the center and asked whether the old edge is still there.
“My question to Joel, does he want it back? And if he does, please show me,” O'Neal said, noting how Jokic has since surpassed the Sixers center in the pecking order at the position.
He also ticked through the rest of the core and what drives each player. “I know LeBron wants to get one last one.
Jaylen is feeling slighted. Maxey is making a name for himself,” O'Neal said.
“Definitely the team to watch.” In his eyes, that combination makes Philadelphia one of the league’s most compelling teams.
But the talent comes with obvious baggage. James will be 42 years old by playoff time, Embiid’s injury-cursed history has repeatedly wrecked Philadelphia’s postseason plans, and fitting four ball-dominant stars together won’t happen overnight. Maxey has already acknowledged that part.
"Championship or bust... this team was put together to win a championship now... they have all the pieces they need"
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 22, 2026
Shaquille O’Neal speaks on the expectations for the 76ers coming into this season 🗣️
(via @SportsCenter) pic.twitter.com/K2tYHIH4uf
Even with those questions hanging over the group, O'Neal’s bottom line is clear: this is a championship roster, and anything less will feel like a failure to the players themselves.
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V.J. Edgecombe Could Be Crucial To The 76ers' Chemistry Fast
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Edgecombe has already started connecting with his new teammates, and there is real value in that before the games even matter. The 76ers are still in the part of the process where chemistry has to be built, not assumed, and a young player learning alongside established names can speed that up in a hurry. Edgecombe has sounded upbeat about absorbing what he can from the veterans around him, which is exactly the sort of small but important step Philadelphia will need as it looks ahead to the 2026-27 season. [Read more 🡒]
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His time in Philadelphia was always going to be judged through two lenses: the front-office friction that came with it and what happened on the floor when the postseason pressure hit. Hardens run with the Sixers included conflict behind the scenes and a 2023 playoff showing that left the organization with more questions than answers. Even now, with Harden moved on, the debate around what Philadelphia got out of the deal and what it gave up in the process still does not feel fully settled. [Read more 🡒]
76ers Have A Contender Problem Most NBA Teams Would Envy
The 76ers have spent the offseason building something that looks, at least on paper, like the kind of roster most teams would love to have. With a starting five that includes Jaylen Brown and LeBron James, Philadelphia has real star power and the sort of depth that should keep it in the mix all season, even if the leagues conversation has already started to zero in on how the pieces fit at the top.
CBS Sports still ranked the Sixers top duos only fifth among NBA teams, a reminder that contender status in this league is often decided by how well the best two players stack up against the rest of the field. The Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs all landed higher, a list shaped in part by recent championship success, and it leaves Philadelphia with a familiar kind of pressure heading into the new season: finding the right leading combination before the games start to matter most. [Read more 🡒]