The long wait to see LeBron James in a Sixers jersey ended. Joel Embiid got back to his Troll Embiid roots. And Tyrese Maxey’s role in the Sixers’ offseason became even more amplified.
Here are five takeaways from Monday’s media day.
LeBron doesn’t commit to a ‘final decision’
James signed a two-year, $8 million deal with a player option to join the Sixers in July. And when he described his move to the Sixers in his initial announcement, James called it his “final decision.” But when asked if this would indeed be his final contract, James said: “We’ll see what happens.”
James acknowledged that he’s entering his 24th season and said he needs to give himself grace.
“Honestly, I’m just looking at it, every single day, on how I can be the best version of myself for this franchise while I’m here,” he said. “I don’t want to speak into the future right now. I would be doing a disservice to myself on just living in the moment, especially knowing that I am where I am in my career.”
Embiid is still trolling
Embiid followed James on media day, and their handling of the dais couldn’t have been more different. James’ first public address was fairly serious, with the discussion centering on his legacy, his deep relationship with Maxey, and where he sees himself in the future.
Embiid was similarly asked serious questions. He handled them differently. At one point, he paused before flashing a smile and blurted, “I’m trying to figure out if I want to troll or not.”
When he wasn’t having a little fun and pretending that he didn’t help recruit James, Embiid was honest about his health and how refreshing it was to finally have a surgery-free offseason.
Maxey’s role in landing LeBron can’t be overstated
Maxey’s recruitment of James started years ago.
Maxey spent time in the gym with James before his rookie season and admitted that he shot a text to James a few years ago even though it was clear the future NBA Hall of Famer was set to return to the Lakers in free agency. Maxey joked that he knew it was a long shot but still asked James if he was interested in “coming back to the Northeast.”
Those moments paid off this summer. When the Sixers traded for Jaylen Brown and James made it clear he wouldn’t return to Los Angeles, things became more serious. Those conversations took a different shape and happened more often, according to James, who said he didn’t have just one conversation about Philly with Maxey.
James was clear that his relationship with Maxey played a pivotal role in his decision to join the Sixers. So did the presence of Brown and conversations with Joel Embiid, a former Team USA teammate of James who joked at media day that they didn’t speak this summer.
“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.”
Maxey’s role in adding James was lauded all summer. Yet he was still surprised it happened.
“I see him in the summertime every year,” Maxey said, “but to see him here in Camden, New Jersey, in the facility with a Sixers jersey on, it’s a cool experience.”
After hearing James speak, Maxey’s part in making that happen can’t be overstated.
Sixers stressing camaraderie
The Sixers are bringing together a lot of new players, with James, Brown, Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope all joining the franchise this summer. Unsurprisingly, it was common for players to mention off-court camaraderie and the importance of team building.
James, Brown and KCP, who have all won NBA titles, spoke about the issue at length. And while Maxey hasn’t won the big one yet, he played a particularly outsized role in gathering teammates even before the season started. He recruited James, worked out with Simons in Texas, spent time with VJ Edgecombe, among other activities this summer.
VJ won’t be asked to ‘sacrifice’
The Sixers have referred to their starting lineup as the Big Five, yet the common refrain has been that second-year star Edgecombe will need to sacrifice.
Several Sixers players dispelled that notion on Monday, starting with James. He asked why Edgecombe would need to sacrifice and recognized that the word can carry a negative connotation.
Maxey said similarly that the Sixers might need different things from Edgecombe on different nights, but admitted that will apply to several players.
“I’ve been hearing that things are going to change for him,” James said. “I don’t understand why things would change for him … I don’t think his role should change.
“With the group of guys we have, no one mentioned that everyone’s role will probably be different. And that’s for the greater good, if we want to accomplish something that’s really, really important. If we say that we want to do something special, there will be a collective sacrifice.”
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