Sept. 28, 2026Up to date Sept. 29, 2026, 12:09 a.m. ET
CAMDEN, NJ — When LeBron James signed with Philadelphia 76ers, certainly one of his causes was his perception that he may assist make the NBA franchise a championship workforce with its already established stars and new additions to the roster.
He doubled down on that Monday, Sept. 28 in entrance of a packed room at 76ers media day.
“I didn’t depart my household to lose within the second spherical,” James mentioned. “I do know that for certain. Work must be accomplished, and I’m able to get to work.”
The four-time NBA champion spent greater than 18 minutes on the podium contained in the 76ers‘ coaching facility on Monday, answering questions earlier than a packed room that included workforce executives, Mike Gansey, the workforce’s new president of basketball operations, with whom he had a earlier relationship relationship again to their Northeast Ohio roots and later their time along with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The session started with James cracking a joke as he eliminated his identify tag from the desk: “You guys know who I’m, proper?” However as his’ introductory information convention continued, one overarching theme remained: Why Philadelphia?
Why return to the Japanese Convention and choose the 76ers, who obtained swept by the New York Knicks within the second spherical of the NBA playoffs final season and have not reached the Japanese Convention Finals since 2001 with Allen Iverson?
Merely put, it was Tyrese Maxey.
James has developed a detailed relationship with the Sixers’ All-Star level guard through the years, as the 2 share the identical agent, Wealthy Paul, the founder and CEO of Klutch Sports activities Group, and have often labored out collectively.
“I’ve a extremely, actually good, nice relationship with Tyrese,” James mentioned. ” We talked so much, and I sort of picked his mind so much, not solely about the place he sees his profession going, how he sees the franchise right here, and the way a lot he believes within the franchise. And if I used to be to come back right here, how does he see me becoming in? Do we predict it might be a plus, or do we predict it might be a adverse?
“As a result of I perceive my persona and what comes with me. Typically it may be a adverse.”
However in the long run, when James weighed his choices, which he mentioned consisted of a gaggle of 5 groups, Maxey was a primary deciding consider making the Metropolis of Brotherly Love the following cease in his Corridor of Fame profession.
“I used to be simply asking all of the questions I may ask him, and it wasn’t only one dialog,” James mentioned. “… Once I broke quite a lot of the groups down, (when) I broke quite a lot of the franchises down that I may presumably play for, he was one of many primary deciding components.”
Maxey mentioned as soon as the 76ers traded Paul George to the Boston Celtics for Jaylen Brown after which as soon as James wasn’t anticipated to re-sign with the Los Angeles Lakers, he believed Philadelphia had a authentic probability to land the NBA’s all-time main scorer.
“He referred to as me sooner or later, we chopped it up and I feel he could also be coming,” Maxey mentioned. “However him being right here is actually cool, actually cool. I feel it should be actually good for our workforce, good for the group, good for the town, for our workforce. He is somebody who’s accomplished it earlier than, who’s received earlier than. … He’ll simply uplift the entire total workforce, total group.”
James trying to carry veteran presence to 76ers
Along with teaming up with Maxey, James will be a part of a star-studded beginning lineup that includes 2023 MVP Joel Embiid, Brown, the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, and VJ Edgecombe., a member of the 2025-26 All-Rookie workforce.
Maxey is getting into his seventh season in Philadelphia, whereas Edgecombe begins his second NBA marketing campaign after ending third in Rookie of the 12 months voting final season. Embiid and Brown carry loads of expertise as established veterans, with the Sixers’ All-Star middle nonetheless trying to find his first NBA title regardless of an achieved profession.
The 76ers bench consists of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, 2026 first-round choose Labaron Philon Jr. and Dean Wade amongst others.
James hopes his championship pedigree, management and postseason expertise might help unite Philadelphia’s mix of younger expertise and veteran stars because the franchise seems to be to lastly break by and make a deep playoff run.
“I’ve quite a lot of expertise on this recreation, clearly, so I hope that I may carry that have, carry that information, carry the blueprint to guys which are attempting to perform some issues that they have not accomplished of their profession,” James mentioned. “I’ve seen every thing that this league has to supply on the ground and off the ground. I hope that each single day with my method to the sport, method to the work that it may well translate to each single man and even guys that is with the ability to win on the highest degree.
“Wanting ahead to that problem.”
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