- What you should know
- The Sixers are holding their annual media day event Monday at the team’s training facility in Camden.
- LeBron James, appearing in a Sixers jersey for the first time, spoke about Philly fans and his close relationship with Tyrese Maxey.
- Ahead of media day, the Sixers unveiled their 2026-27 jerseys and a new patch sponsor — Bloom Energy, a longtime money-loser now soaring thanks to AI data centers.
- James spoke on his podcast last week about his decision to come to Philadelphia.
- The Sixers’ first preseason game is Oct. 5 against the New York Knicks at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Philly will kick off the regular season Oct. 20 against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
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// Timestamp 09/28/26 4:43pm
LeBron James’ goal in Philly is clear: ‘I didn’t leave my family to lose in the second round’
LeBron James grabbed and glanced at the name tag perched on a table, then quipped, “You guys know who I am, right?”
Those assembled inside the 76ers’ practice facility did, of course. James, one of the NBA’s all-time greats and a mainstream international celebrity, generally commands such hubbub. But the blue No. 23 jersey that James wore Monday amped that attention up even more. New teammate Tyrese Maxey even called seeing his friend and summer workout buddy’s new professional attire “really just weird.”
In James’ long-anticipated first day inside these walls — and first time speaking publicly since he chose the Sixers in a stunning free-agency move in July — the future Hall of Famer touched on needing to learn new streets and new people. The Northeast Ohio native mentioned getting reacclimated to weather in this part of the country, on the tail end of the weekend’s nor’easter storm. James acknowledged the outside noise surrounding the Sixers will be “doubled and tripped and quadrupled now that I’m here.”
Yet James reemphasized that his goal, in perhaps his last destination in a storied NBA career, is to seize the Sixers’ newfound super team status. The four-time champion hopes to provide the “blueprint” for the “collective sacrifice” and consistent work habits required to reach the NBA mountaintop, a feat the Sixers have not accomplished in more than four decades.
“Everyone wants, like, instant oatmeal,” James said at the Sixers’ media day ahead of the start of training camp. “You just put the oatmeal in the bowl, you put water in it, throw it in the microwave, and in a minute-and-a-half, you’ve got something to eat. You’re ready to go.
“If you want to do something special, it takes time. And it takes, every single day, doing things that you may not want to do. Because it’s the same thing, over and over and over and over and over, repetition after repetition after repetition. …
“That is the best way to expedite being great: You have to fall in love with doing things [that are] uncomfortable. And if we can do that, we can be a great team. If we don’t do that, then we’ll be like, ‘Oh, man, that was a great team on paper and we had a lot of great talent, and we lost in the second round.’”
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Joel Embiid looks light, sounds optimistic about his new teammates and Sixers’ chances
At the end of last season, Joel Embiid was optimistic about what a summer without a major injury could do for the Sixers heading into next year.
So, what did he spend his summer doing?
“Nothing,” he said with a smirk. “Gained a lot of weight.”
Embiid looked up toward the ceiling and debated whether he wanted to keep trolling when asked for further clarification about his summer.
“I feel good,” Embiid said Monday. “I won’t get into all the details of what I did, but I felt like I did the right things to put myself and the team in a position to succeed.”
Contrary to his jokes, he looked visibly lighter and said he wants to play “as much as possible” this season after struggling with injuries on and off through his entire NBA career. He said his knee issues were “behind him.”
“Jo is one of the most talented guys we have in the world,” LeBron James said. “For him, it’s just about health.”
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Photos of LeBron and his new Sixers teammates
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LeBron focused on ‘living in the moment’
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The starting five
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LeBron seriously considered joining the Knicks
During LeBron James’ free-agency process, his agent, Klutch CEO Rich Paul, hinted that the hall of famer would’ve seriously considered joining the New York Knicks if they didn’t win the 2026 NBA title.
James confirmed that in an interview with ESPN, explicitly stating that he was going to New York if they hadn’t taken down the San Antonio Spurs in five games this summer.
“I had visions of playing in [Madison Square] Garden and finishing my career in the Garden,” James told ESPN. “One of the best places I’ve ever played. I think it’s the No. 1 arena in the world, as far as for a basketball player. But after they beat San Antonio, I was like, ‘Hey, I can’t.’ I couldn’t do it.”
So that’s one big question answered. Another that has percolated since James joined the Sixers is where he plans to live. There were rumors that he would live in New York City and commute to Philly and even discussions about him taking a helicopter to practices and games.
Asked where he will keep a residence, James didn’t commit to one city.
“Both,” he said. “Multiple residences.”
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Justin Edwards calls LeBron ‘Unc’
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VJ Edgecombe wants everyone to know who started the Sixers group chat
During Jaylen Brown’s first press conference in Philadelphia in July, he mentioned the Sixers’ group chat was already up and active as the new teammates got to know one another. VJ Edgecombe wanted to make sure everyone knew it was his idea.
“You know who really initiated the group chat? I did,” Edgecombe said.
When the Sixers traded for Jaylen Brown, Edgecombe told Tyrese Maxey that the two of them, plus Brown and Joel Embiid, should be in a group chat together.
“Then LeBron came, and obviously I don’t got LeBron James’ number,” Edgecombe said. “I can’t say, ‘go add Bron to the group chat?’ Besides, even if I had his number, why would I randomly add LeBron to a group chat? You get what I’m saying? So I told Tyrese to do it.”
Maxey, of course, has a close relationship with James, and played a key role in recruiting him to Philadelphia. The two frequently train together in LA over the summer.
“‘Rese did it, but it was my idea,” Edgecombe said. “Anyone who tells you it was their idea, they’re lying.”
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VJ Edgecombe was getting a pedicure during the Jaylen Brown trade
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Jaylen Brown sees Sixers as ‘an empty slate’
When Jaylen Brown threw a goodbye “block party” in Boston this summer, the mayor and other elected officials came out to thank Brown for his service to the community.
When he came to the Sixers in a surprise trade this summer, he intentionally held his press conference at a Boys and Girls Club in Philadelphia, a signal of his intent to become active in the community, something that has been a passion for Brown throughout his career and something he touched in his comments at media day.
“What I value is the human connection, to be able to bring people together, uplift your community, and inspire people,” Brown said. “What I always preach is athletes are more than line items or stats on a sheet. I preach the human connection, how you uplift the community and bring people together. … I think we’re getting away from that.”
His media day comments were a mix of questions about on- and off-the-court activities this summer. When asked a question that touched on who might be the “alpha” of the Sixers, or if that even mattered on a team like this, Brown just responded, “Next question.”
In other answers, he emphasized the importance of defense while saying he wasn’t sure if his championship experience in Boston would carry over to Philadelphia.
“I’m not so sure if that’s true. It’s a new group,” Brown said. “I’m approaching this with an empty slate. Coming in every single day and trying to maximize every opportunity. Not taking anything for granted. I don’t have, I wouldn’t say expectations. You just got to come in and get ready to work. Create a winning environment and see where that takes you. I’m not sure if things in the past will help you. They may.”
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Jaylen Brown not impressed with ‘alpha’ question
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Maxey began recruiting LeBron to Philly years ago
Tyrese Maxey’s recruitment of LeBron James started years ago.
Maxey spent time in the gym with James prior to his rookie season and admitted that he shot a text to James a few years ago even though it was clear the 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 added Jaylen Brown and James made it clear he wouldn’t return to Los Angeles, things turned a bit 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.
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LeBron poses for photos in Sixers jersey
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Embiid does a bit of trolling on LeBron recruitment
Joel Embiid flashed a smile when asked what role he played in the recruitment of LeBron James to Philadelphia.
“I didn’t talk to him, I didn’t recruit,” he said to some laughter at Sixers media day.
Kidding or not, that answer was in line with a summer in which Embiid said he purposefully maintained a low profile and worked on his body. Continuing his trend of potentially trolling answers, Embiid said he “gained” a lot of weight, even as he looks noticeably trimmer.
“Just want to stay out of the way, focus on what I need to be focused on, which is basketball,” Embiid said. “And I got my family, and especially since I became a father and got married, just be me. Stay out of the way, enjoy my family, and take care of what I need to be taking care of on a daily basis, that’s what I did this summer.”
Embiid is healthy coming into the season, and his health will be a constant point of conversation throughout the season if the Sixers are going to be true title contenders. He mentioned the team and he “got a plan and we gonna execute it.”
When asked about adding Jaylen Brown, Embiid said: “I was excited because you’re getting a guy — First Team All-NBA. The job he did, especially when [Jayson Tatum] was hurt, was huge. Obviously we played against him, but what he brings on the defensive, offensive end … to be able to add that, combining that with everything he does on and off the court, I think he’s going to be good for the city of Philadelphia.”
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Joel Embiid steps behind the microphone
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LeBron: ‘I didn’t leave my family to lose in the second round’
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LeBron: Tyrese Maxey was ‘one of the main deciding factors’ in coming to Philly
When LeBron James was choosing among what he said was five teams in free agency, a primary factor in his decision to choose was his relationship with guard Tyrese Maxey.
The two have worked out together and became close through their association with James’ agency, Klutch Sports.
“Great relationship with Tyrese and we talked a lot,” James said. “I picked his brain a lot about not only where he sees his career going, where he sees the franchise going and how much he believes in the franchise and if I were to come here, how would I fit in, would it be a plus or a negative.”
James mentioned that it wasn’t just one conversation he had with Maxey about where he fits on the team and in the locker room, and in terms of his personality.
“I was just asking all the questions I could ask him and it wasn’t just one conversation,” James said. “… When I broke all the teams down that I could possibly play for, he was one of the main deciding factors.”
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LeBron: ‘I need a little hate’
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LeBron: Philly sports fans ‘know ball’
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LeBron: ‘Literally, I can do everything’
LeBron James is nothing if not self-aware.
He realizes that by coming to Philadelphia and joining a roster as talent-rich as the Sixers, there’s going to be a lot of “noise.”
And that was going to be “doubled, tripled and quadrupled” with him in town. So when the team goes through predictable tough stretches of the season, he’s ready to deal with that attention. But as James stated in his opening news conference, “the noise is just the noise.”
Among the things James said that has impressed him so far is that “everybody is on the same page.” That he thinks the team will be able to have the kind of communication needed to bring together a team that hasn’t played together previously.
When asked how his game may fit in with this team, James wasn’t shy.
“The luxury of my game is I can do everything. Literally, I can do everything.”
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LeBron James makes debut wearing Sixers jersey
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Watch: LeBron James, Sixers teammates speak with reporters
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First look at a slimmed-down Joel Embiid
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LeBron James arrives for Sixers media day
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Packed parking lot at Sixers media day
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Sixers media day to feature LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, and more
The Sixers will hold their annual media day Monday morning at 11 a.m., which has just a bit more juice this year thanks to the addition of LeBron James.
While James spoke a bit about why he picked Philly on his Mind the Game podcast, fans should get their first look at him in a Sixers jersey.
Monday will also be the first time Philly fans hear from Jaylen Brown, who the team landed in an offseason trade with the Boston Celtics. And Joel Embiid will speak to reporters for the first time since his team has been transformed into a top Eastern Conference contender.
There’s also Mike Gansey, the team’s new president of basketball of operations, who will be attending his first media day since replacing Daryl Morey in May.
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Sixers unveil jerseys, announce new patch sponsor
The Sixers announced a new jersey patch partnership with Bloom Energy.
In a release, the Sixers said the deal will be “one of the most comprehensive and impactful patch partnership deals in the NBA.” One of Bloom Energy’s largest manufacturing hubs is located in Newark, Del., and as part of the partnership, the company will sponsor the Delaware Blue Coats’ jerseys.
The Sixers partnered with Crypto.com for six seasons beginning in 2021. No terms were ever officially announced, but reports at the time suggested the deal ran for six years, which would bring the deal to the end of 2026-27.
The Sixers also announced their full slate of jerseys, which included the return of their black uniforms and a new look with stars and the word “Sixers” in small print across the top of the chest.
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LeBron’s move to Philly caused some sticker shock for Sixers fans seeking tickets
It should come as no surprise that 76ers tickets will be significantly more expensive this season after the massive additions of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown.
But Thursday’s single-game ticket drop and the earlier presale for season-ticket holders still caused a bit of sticker shock for fans.
Single-game ticket prices started at $75 before fees for upper-deck seating, which bumped the final tally up to $88 with fees.
However, that base-level price was only available for six of the Sixers’ 41 home games at point-of-sale. Those include games against the Bulls (Nov. 2), Raptors (Nov. 12), Grizzlies (Dec. 1), Wizards (Jan. 12), Clippers (Jan. 25), and Hawks (April 4).
For marquee games, including games against the Knicks and the home opener against Cleveland on Oct. 22, primary ticket prices started at $320.
For years, the Sixers searched for a solution to Knicks fans taking over Xfinity Mobile Arena. In the playoffs in 2024 and 2026, everyone from Joel Embiid to Sixers ownership to Fanatics owner Michael Rubin pitched in to fill the arena with Sixers fans, to no avail.
At Madison Square Garden, faced with similar fan complaints of price gouging (opening-night Knicks vs. Sixers tickets were running fans upward of $1,000 just to get in the building), Knicks ownership paused single-game ticket sales, apologized, and said that “mistakes” had been made in pricing the tickets.
“We are rolling back to last year’s prices plus an average increase of 12 percent,” the team said in a release.
Why did LeBron James choose the Sixers?
LeBron James got his first taste of Philadelphia in his senior year of high school when he played at the Palestra.
James spoke about his decision to join Philadelphia on the first episode of season four of his Mind the Game podcast with Hall of Famer Steve Nash released on Friday, including a big recruiting role played by Tyrese Maxey.
“When I became a free agent and we decided to let the Lakers know that I wouldn’t be returning, he was one of the first people that was on my line,” James said. “Calling me, ‘Yo, what we doing? Yo, what’s up OG? Come on down here, we could use you down here.’”
James said he and Maxey have a relationship that extends beyond the basketball court, which played a big role in his decision to join the Sixers. Maxey even used to play video games with James’ sons, Bronny and Bryce, when he was 19.
“I just love everything about Tyrese Maxey,” James said. “Every day you get the same person, and that is very rare in sports and obviously super rare in life. And obviously we know what he brings to the basketball court.”
The Sixers’ trade for Jaylen Brown also caught James’ attention, but the final piece for James was Joel Embiid, who he said was “one of the most important” parts of his decision.
“He’s done everything in our league, and the only thing he has not done is win a championship,” James said. “I want to try to help him get that first one. He has the city on his back. I hope I can be that final little piece that can help him get over the hump.”
— Lexie Linderman
// Timestamp 09/28/26 9:50am
