LeBron James moved quickly to knock down a report suggesting friction with new teammate Joel Embiid during the early days of his stint with the Philadelphia 76ers.
During a preseason broadcast against the New York Knicks, veteran announcer Mike Breen said Embiid had arrived a couple of minutes late to practice and that James had “let him hear it” in front of the team.
James responded on Instagram with a photo of himself alongside Embiid, writing: “[billed cap emoji]! He ain’t been late so stop the lies.”
The report spread quickly in part because of Embiid’s past struggles with punctuality. During the 2024-25 season, teammate Tyrese Maxey confronted Embiid in an hour-long team meeting, telling him directly that he was late “for everything” and needed to show up on time. That history made Breen’s account plausible to many who heard it.
James’ denial came shortly after he had publicly praised Embiid’s conditioning, noting that the center had not missed a single practice and looked noticeably better than he did during the pair’s run together with Team USA at the 2024 Olympics.
Who Leads the Locker Room?
The episode has reignited questions about leadership inside a 76ers locker room now carrying several established stars. Teammate Jaylen Brown deflected questions about who the team’s “alpha” is, a response that underscored the challenge of blending James, Embiid and Maxey without friction.
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, Lakers coach JJ Redick used his opening news conference of the season to credit an improved locker room culture to moving past the LeBron James era with that franchise, a comment that pointed to how large James’ presence has loomed over teams he has played for.
James is also managing a diagnosed case of arthritis this season, adding to the list of things he is dealing with beyond on-court matters.
Taken together, the practice-arrival dispute and the leadership questions point to a season in Philadelphia that could prove unpredictable for James and his new team.
