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Category: Sixers/NBA

This Delco man sunburned LeBron James’ jersey into his back in Sea Isle. He called it an act of ‘Philly toughness’

Joey Abel was born in Drexel Hill and raised in Broomall, but now works in insurance in New York. For the past few months, the 28-year-old has been surrounded by hordes of Knicks fans, reveling in their long-sought championship.

It has not been a pleasant experience. Like most Delaware County natives, Abel supports Philadelphia’s pro sports teams, through good times and bad.

This included the Process years, when the Sixers were winning as few as 10 games a season. Even then, Abel was all-in. He was drawn to the analytical mind of Sam Hinkie, the excitement of Tony Wroten, and, of course, the hope of a bright future.

Joey Abel with his nephew, Lucas.provided by Joey Abel

At 11:30 a.m. Friday, that hope was realized. Abel was traveling from Atlantic City to Sea Isle City with his aunt, Rita, for a family vacation down the Shore, when he saw that LeBron James was coming to Philadelphia.

He couldn’t believe his eyes. Back in May, the Sixers had seemed rudderless; a team encumbered by big contracts with a small window. Now, Abel believed they had their missing piece, a future Hall of Famer who could lead them out of the wilderness.

The Malvern Prep alumnus was ecstatic. So as he approached the beach, he decided to celebrate in a way only a Philadelphian could: by suffering just a little bit more.

As Abel and his family planted chairs into the sand around the 56th Street beach in Sea Isle, an idea occurred to him. His nephews used a blue zinc sunscreen stick to protect themselves from the sun.

Eager to show his devotion to the King, Abel asked his sister, Jill, to write “James” and “23″ into his back, with no sunscreen applied anywhere else.

“I don’t even know [how I thought of it],” Abel said. “I was just like, ‘How can I get a LeBron James jersey as fast as possible?’ And for some reason, that’s where my mind went.”

With few clouds in the sky and a forecast in the high 70s, the conditions were perfect for a roast. Abel played with his nephews in the water and returned to the beach, lying flat on his stomach as he burned to a crisp.

Joey Abel and family in Sea Isle City.provided by Joey Abel

About an hour later, his family rubbed the sunscreen off to find a semi-permanent LeBron James jersey seared into his back.

“I was like, ‘All right, I want to see if I can get this good,’” Abel said. “And it got good.”

The reactions from nearby beachgoers were predictably hilarious. One man walked up to Abel and asked if he’d lost a bet. A few others sheepishly requested a photo of his scorching-red “James 23.”

His mother, Annette, was less enthused.

“They were all just embarrassed,” Abel said. “They’re like, ‘Joe, are you kidding me?’”

Later that night, he went out with Jill to the Ocean Drive, and met a fellow Sixers fan at the bar. The Delco native felt compelled to share his act of sacrifice.

“I couldn’t not show him the giant LeBron sunburn on my back,” he said.

Before long, the scene became a “photo shoot,” with others asking to take photos of Abel’s de facto tattoo.

pic.twitter.com/j1MPPBIVTH

— John M. Vodkasodalime (@JohnVodkasoda) July 28, 2026

This was Day 1 of the Abel’s family vacation. The 28-year-old will be in Sea Isle until Sunday and has no plans to apply aloe vera before then.

“It does hurt, but I did it, right?” he said. “I’m going to have to keep it. I don’t really want it to fade as fast. Philly toughness, like LeBron’s going to learn.”

Abel says James’ decision has helped soften the blow of the Knicks’ recent championship. He’s now excited to return to New York City in the fall and hopes to see the Sixers in person when he does.

But don’t expect him to go anywhere near Madison Square Garden.

“I think I’m going to have to go to a Nets game,” he said.

July 28, 2026
Draymond Green is right about VJ Edgecombe. But he couldn’t be more wrong about LeBron James.

Draymond Green is wrong about one thing. VJ Edgecombe’s agent should be ecstatic. If he isn’t, then Edgecombe should find a new agent. There are only a small handful of people who have more to gain from LeBron James signing with the Sixers, and all of them own charter helicopter services that fly between New York and Philly.

That’s not to say we should completely dismiss the concern raised by Green in a recent podcast episode.

“If I’m VJ Edgecombe’s agent, I’m not sure I’m happy with the summer that the 76ers have had,” said Green, the star power forward whose Warriors were among a number of contenders that had hoped to land James. “Like you go from being sometimes the second option when [Joel] Embiid was out to sometimes being the fifth option. It’s a big, big difference.”

Green isn’t wrong about the overarching issue. What he’s missing is that the issue predated James, and that James is much more likely to alleviate it than exacerbate it.

Nick Nurse will need to be mindful of Edgecombe’s usage rate. On a team with three prime-aged players accustomed to getting 20-plus shots per game plus LeBron, the Sixers would be doing themselves a disservice if they allowed Edgecombe to pause his superstar progression to spend a couple of seasons as a glorified Josh Hart. I don’t know if I’d go so far as to call it a concern. But it is most definitely an unknown, one that carries some downside risk. Green is right about that.

Edgecombe’s superstar flashes as a rookie occurred in moments and stretches where he operated as the primary option. We got the best glimpses of the guy he could become in the moments where the Sixers needed him to be that guy: when the offense ran through him, when the success or failure of the possession at hand was his to dictate. Remember the 20 points he scored in the first half against the Celtics in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semis? Edgecombe scored five unassisted buckets during that heater. Four of them were pull-up jumpers, including a 27-footer from three-point range.

Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe will be a key member of one of the NBA’s best five-man lineups.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

That aspect of Edgecombe’s game is why NBA folks mention guys like Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade when talking about his potential. Neither is a perfect comp. Butler is a better one than Wade. They both make sense from a stylistic viewpoint. Wade and Butler are/were two of the best at methodically getting to their spots and then owning that spot. That’s something a player needs to develop, both in terms of feel and in terms of pacing. So, yeah, it’s a potential drawback if Edgecombe always gets last dibs on spots. I’m just not sure I agree with Green that LeBron compounds the potential issue. I actually think he could prove to be a godsend for Edgecombe.

Two things you can say about James throughout his career. One, he recognizes talent; and, two, he is willing, even eager, to facilitate things for that talent. That’s especially true of young talent.

Kyrie Irving flourished alongside James in Cleveland. So did Austin Reaves in Los Angeles. James has played with a slew of young up-and-comers who didn’t have nearly the talent that Edgecombe has. All had plenty of opportunities. Kyle Kuzma and Brandon Ingram both averaged at least 18 shots per 100 possessions when they were on the court with James during his first year with the Lakers. Malik Monk had arguably the best season of his career as a 23-year-old Laker. D’Angelo Russell’s most efficient seasons — really, his only efficient seasons — came during the 125 games he played with the LeBron Lakers.

Two years ago, Russell, James and Anthony Davis all averaged between 14 and 18 shots per game, while Reaves and Rui Hachimura both got between 10 and 12. Keep in mind, James and Davis both played 70-plus games and 35-plus minutes per night that season.

Nurse will be able to find spots to let Edgecombe do his thing. James only played in 60 games last season. Embiid has played in 96 total over the last three seasons. During the course of a game, you could see a lineup with Edgecombe, Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and a backup center on the court together.

Can LeBron and the Sixers win it all? We ran the numbers.

James shouldn’t be a drag on Edgecombe. He should be a force multiplier. There’d be a bigger reason for concern without him. Really, it’s what makes the signing of James so transformative. Before, there was some real reason to wonder how well Edgecombe and Maxey would mesh with a couple of ball-dominant alphas who both feel as if they have a lot left to prove. James’ biggest benefit to the Sixers is his ability to smooth that dynamic, not so much in the locker room but on the court with his style of play and commanding presence. There’s a very real world where he ends up serving as the bridge connector between the younger and older halves of the foursome.

The biggest winners of last week’s wild turn of events were Edgecombe and his financial dependents. Them, and the Air Redick operators.

July 28, 2026
From ‘Point LeBron’ to King James’ legacy, here’s what national experts are saying about the Sixers

The 76ers have had a successful offseason under new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey. They traded for Jaylen Brown earlier this month and recently signed all-time great LeBron James to a two-year, $8 million contract.

The team’s latest additions have made the Sixers early title contenders and turned them into the center of attention. But plenty of questions still surround the team. For instance, how will James fit into the lineup? Where does his legacy stand? And who’s under the most pressure entering the season?

Here’s everything they’re saying about James and the Sixers:

Point LeBron?

James is joining a team that has former league MVP Joel Embiid, rising star VJ Edgecombe, five-time All-Star Jaylen Brown, and two-time All-Star Tyrese Maxey, who has already been training with James this offseason.

When it comes to James’ role on the team, ESPN’s Shams Charania said Philly fans can expect him to occasionally run point.

“We’re going to be looking at some ‘Point LeBron James’ this upcoming season,” Charania said on NBA Today. “Tyrese Maxey last season played a lot on the ball at point guard … think of a better player that can set the table for Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe.”

The Sixers are expecting LeBron James to play "a good amount of time" at point guard next season, according to @ShamsCharania.

"Tyrese Maxey last season played a lot on the ball at point guard… think of a better player that can set the table for Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown,…

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 27, 2026

During the 2019-20 season, James started regularly at point guard and averaged a career high 10.2 assists and led the Lakers to their 17th NBA championship.

And, according to NBA insider Brian Windhorst, running point was part of the pitch to get James, a 22-time All-Star, to Philly.

“I will just say that LeBron has played point guard for every team he’s ever played,” Windhorst said on First Take. “He may not have been the starting point guard, he’s played point guard on his teams since he was 12 years old. The amount of time he has played point guard has varied, and that is what the 76ers are going to be looking at.

“Putting LeBron at point guard for set stretches of the game fits. Also, VJ Edgecombe is a combo guard. Maxey’s a combo guard, Anfernee Simons is a combo guard. LeBron has been great with good combo guards next to him throughout his career. Mo Williams, Kyrie Irving, Austin Reaves. This makes a ton of sense, and it’s a really good insight into how the Sixers are thinking.”

"I will just say that LeBron James has played point guard for every team he's ever played."@WindhorstESPN's expectations for LeBron James in Philly 👀 pic.twitter.com/0JfmHrIR9r

— First Take (@FirstTake) July 28, 2026

‘LeBron is playing for a different legacy’

James joining the Sixers may have been the biggest surprise, compared to other teams in the running, like the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers. And after joining such a stacked roster, James has been criticized for ring chasing — but NBA Hall of Famer and four-time NBA champion Shaquille O’Neal defended James against the allegations.

“I don’t like y’all calling my man a ring chaser,” O’Neal said on The Stephen A. Smith Show. “It’s funny to me the people that don’t have rings are saying, ‘Oh, he’s a ring chaser.’ No, he’s continuance chasing. He’s chasing the chance to continue to be great, to continue to add legacy to his book.

“You know and I know when this thing is over, it’s over. You can’t come back. Once you retire, once your body says, ‘I can’t go no more,’ it’s over. This guy feels he has two, three years left. Why not try to get another championship? I did it. I did it with Boston after I won three in a row and then won one in Miami. Hey, toward the end of my career, let me go play with Paul [Pierce] and [Kevin Garnett], be like the fourth guy. Rebound, set picks. See if I can win one. That’s what he’s doing.”

Shaquille O’Neal says LeBron James isn’t ring chasing—he’s chasing greatness

“I don’t like y’all calling my man a ring chaser. I don’t think it’s fair. The people that don’t have rings are the ones saying, ‘Oh, he’s a ring chaser.’”

“No. He’s continuing to chase the chance to… pic.twitter.com/fCv0X1VI97

— Isaac Bassey (@0xBassey) July 28, 2026

James already has accomplished so much throughout his career: he’s the NBA’s all-time scoring leader, a four-time MVP and NBA champion, a 22-time NBA All-Star, was the 2003-04 Rookie of the Year, and has won three Olympic gold medals.

But Charania believes he could be chasing another legacy.

“It’s no doubt LeBron is playing for a different legacy, and the legacy being the only player in NBA history to win a championship with four different teams,” Charania said on The Stephen A. Smith Show. “And he’s playing on borrowed time. A player has never gone into the 23rd season, much less a 24th or 25th season. So it’s like he’s playing with spare change now.”

Shams says LeBron wanted to be the first player to win a ring on 4 different teams:

“It’s no doubt LeBron is playing for a different legacy, and the legacy being being the only player in the nba history to win a championship with 4 different teams. And he’s playing on borrowed… pic.twitter.com/uR9jnCyGam

— JayTakes (@SportsWithJay0) July 27, 2026

Embiid or James under more pressure?

Entering the season, the Sixers have high expectations. The Sixers have the third-best odds, according to DraftKings, at +900, trailing the San Antonio Spurs (+270) and the Oklahoma City Thunder (+270).

But who will be under the most pressure: James or Embiid?

“The most pressure is on LeBron James,” radio personality Evan Cohen said on First Take. “That’s what he signed up for. I think the least pressure is on Embiid. I think this is the lowest pressure he’s had on him all career. I don’t think there’s ever been a point in Joel Embiid’s career that he’s had less pressure. You know why? You know how many games he has to play in the regular season? Zero. If he doesn’t play a single game, it doesn’t matter. You know how many games you have to play in the postseason? Enough for them to win.”

Joel Embiid Is Under The Least Amount Of Pressure On The 76ers Team This Season. Per, @EvCoRadio

“The most pressure is on LeBron James, that’s what he signed up for. I think the least pressure is on Embiid.” pic.twitter.com/pRRErrKiIT

— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) July 27, 2026

But O’Neal seems to disagree.

“When I heard Philadelphia, I was like, ‘Oh, I wasn’t expecting that,’ but then when I sat down, I’m like, ‘Damn, him, Maxey, Edgecombe, Embiid, Jaylen Brown. Uh-oh, we could have something serious,’” O’Neal said. “And guess what? And guess whose shoulder it leans on? Joel Embiid. … Yeah, [he’s the one with the pressure]. Not LeBron. Not Jaylen Brown. Joel Embiid. Because you know why? Even if LeBron doesn’t win, LeBron is still one, two, or three in people’s eyes. You know that, I know that. So, Joel. Time for him to step up.”

Shaq says LeBron James is under pressure to win a ring this year with the Philadelphia sixers especially with jaylen brown and tyrse maxey . And the person who’s under the most pressure is Joel Embiid https://t.co/YdYzS2BCPq pic.twitter.com/Sv9tTQiW8z

— NBA Hoops (@Thechat101) July 27, 2026

‘Biggest threat to the New York Knicks’

The New York Knicks swept the Sixers in the second round of the NBA playoffs and ultimately beat the Spurs to claim the title. Entering the 2026-27 season, the Knicks and Sixers share the same odds to win the championship (+900) on DraftKings.

“Obviously, you have an MVP Joel Embiid, you have an up-and-coming superstar in Tyrese Maxey, and you have LeBron James, who still, on any given day, can be a top-10 player in the sport,” SiriusXM NBA host David Shepard said on the Freddie and Harry podcast. “And so because we have not had a repeat champion in the last eight years, we haven’t even had a repeat champion make it back to the NBA Finals this decade.

“It’s going to be the 76ers as the biggest threat to the New York Knicks, as opposed to the other way around. … LeBron James is a once-in-a-lifetime athlete, and anywhere he goes, gentlemen, as you know, by Year 2, they’re NBA champions. That’s why the 76ers are the bigger threat to the Knicks than the other way around.”

"I doubt Jalen Brunson and the Knicks yet again… The 76ers are the biggest threat to the Knicks."@SheponAir 👀⤵️ pic.twitter.com/jLjImRv9q8

— Freddie and Harry (@FreddieandHD) July 27, 2026

July 28, 2026
Sixers trade Johni Broome and a second-round pick to the Clippers

The 76ers are trading Johni Broome and a second-round pick to the Los Angeles Clippers for cash considerations, a source confirmed to The Inquirer Tuesday.

The move allows the Sixers to officially sign veteran wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope while staying under the first apron hard salary cap. Caldwell-Pope, who over the weekend agreed to a contract buyout wiht the Memphis Grizzlies, will reunite with recently signed megastar LeBron James, his former teammate with the Los Angeles Lakers including during the 2019-20 championship season.

Year 2 is when LeBron James teams hit their championship stride. Here’s how they did it.

The Sixers also had the option of waiving Broome and stretching his $2.1 million cap hit over seven seasons — reducing it to $300,000 per year — because his 2027-28 and 2028-29 salaries were nonguaranteed, according to The Athletic. But this trade solves that issue in one fell swoop.

Broome played in only 11 games for the Sixers during a rookie season that was interrupted by late-February meniscus surgery. He did perform well in stints with the G League’s Delaware Blue Coats, including a 50-point, 17-rebound outburst shortly before his injury.

He returned to extensive on-court action during the Las Vegas Summer League earlier this month, and was one of the top rebounders (nine per game) among all participants across the league. He also averaged 14.7 points per game, and was tasked to work on his three-point shooting.

“My first season wasn’t the best,” Broome said in Las Vegas. “I can see that myself. That’s why I put in a lot of work to have a better second year. Obviously, I want to make a better impression and I’ve got more to do. I just want to keep proving myself each and every day, for Philly.”

Broome, who turned 24 this month, was the Sixers’ second-round draft pick in 2025 after a standout college career at Auburn.

The Sixers on Sunday waived guard Dalen Terry — whose $2.6 million salary for 2026-27 was nonguaranteed until Jan. 10 — in order to sign James and stay under the first apron hard cap.

July 28, 2026
A Philly street artist installed a LeBron James mirror mosaic on an old Burger King wall. Why? ‘It explains itself.’

Street artist irregular. rarely cries. But when LeBron James announced he was going to end his NBA career with the Sixers, he shed a single tear — and then got to work.

Within 48 hours, after a sleepless Friday night, his mirrored tribute to James was up on the side of a Center City building.

“Someone said, ‘Oh, that was so fast!’” irregular., whose full name is Sean Hassett, said Tuesday. “I don’t think it was fast enough. Actually, I think it could have been a little quicker.”

LeBron James and nine other stars who stunned Philly simply by coming here

As soon as rumors began to swirl that James could potentially join the Sixers, the 37-year-old artist began to pull reference images, knowing that if it happened, he’d want to make art of it. He had a gut feeling it was going to happen.

“Philly just felt like — why would they even say it if it wasn’t going to be true?” Hassett said. “I was a firm believer three weeks ago.”

As the weeks wore on, his hope started to dim, but that changed late last week. Within two hours of James announcing his decision, Hassett had already drawn out what he wanted the piece to look like, and then spent the night cutting out each piece of mirror.

View this post on Instagram

Hassett usually sells art at Rittenhouse Square on Saturdays, but instead spent most of this past Saturday afternoon walking around Center City to scout potential locations for the piece. He ultimately settled on a building at Eighth and Market, the site of a former Burger King.

“King James, Burger King, I don’t know,” he said. “It’s a weird tie. I love the slogans that Burger King uses, which is what I used as my captions on my Instagram. One of them is ‘There’s a new king and it’s you.’ That makes perfect sense for exactly what I did. I mirrored LeBron James. Their classic slogan is ‘Have it your way,’ and I felt like that’s what the Sixers chose this year, is to have it our way, and we’re going to just put all the chips in and go for it all.”

Adam Hock, of Center City, saw on Facebook about the LeBron James mosaic on Eighth and Market Streets on Tuesday.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer

Hassett has been creating mirror art for 11 years. He started as a painter, but as he developed his skills, he yearned to find a way to stand out from the crowd. Working with mirrors became his medium.

“The viewer can see themselves in the art,” he said. “It explains itself. It speaks for itself, truly, I would say.”

Unauthorized LeBron James merch up for grabs outside Philly’s stadiums and down the Shore

Hassett estimated that, at this point, an average project takes him six hours to finish, but the James project ended up taking closer to 10.

It’s not his first tribute to a Philly athlete either.

View this post on Instagram

Hassett created a mirrored Saquon Barkley and put it up a week before Super Bowl LIX, since he was that confident the Birds would win. His Allen Iverson mirror art, created after the Sixers unveiled their small practice facility statue, is still up on Third and South Streets.

LeBron James could live in NYC while playing for Philly. He wouldn’t be the first Sixer to do it.

“I see [sports] as the true glue of the city,” he said. “I remember the Eagles parade, and I have a bit of social anxiety. I don’t like large groups, but [at] that parade I was literally shoulder-to-shoulder, toe-to-toe with people, and there was nothing better than the energy there.

“I think we’re going to get that back. We think this year was great, but I think there’s just more great years to come here in Philly.”

July 28, 2026
LeBron James and nine other stars who stunned Philly simply by coming here

Jayson Werth was sleeping on his couch when Pat Gillick called him in the winter of 2006. Zack Wheeler is one of the best pitchers in baseball yet wasn’t the highest-paid pitcher in his free-agent class.

If we’re talking about the best signings in Philadelphia sports history then Werth — a flier who became an essential piece of a great Phillies era — and Wheeler — an underpaid pitcher who should’ve won two Cy Young Awards — would have a case. But that’s not this list.

These are the 10 players whose arrival to Philadelphia via trade or free agency made you stop in your tracks, text your group chats, and blast sports talk radio as if it was your favorite song. These are the acquisitions that felt like championships. Would anyone have been opposed if the Sixers dropped a banner last week that said “We Signed LeBron?”

Here’s a list of 10 players (including LeBron James) who brought Philadelphia to a halt in the last 50 years simply by coming here.

Honorable mentions: Jeremy Roenick, A.J. Brown, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, Peter Forsberg, Ricky Watters, Paul Coffey, Lance Parrish.

Saquon Barkley smiles while meeting with the local media during an introductory news conference in March 2024.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

10. Saquon Barkley, 2024

It’s easy to forget now but this move was met by some with trepidation: Why did the Eagles pay for a running back? How much does Barkley have left? Those questions were soon dismissed and the fanfare around the trade only grew that summer when John Mara said he would lose sleep if Barkley was an Eagle. Then, Barkley scored three times against Green Bay to open a special season. There was never a reason to have angst.

Jim Thome hit 89 home runs in his first two seasons with the Phillies.

9. Jim Thome, 2002

How important was it to land Jim Thome? Even Johnny Doc got involved. The Phillies were a season away from opening Citizens Bank Park and needed a big name to drum up interest in a franchise that hadn’t done much since 1993. Enter Thome. The Phillies blew him away with an offer that Cleveland could not match. The Phils were suddenly relevant again.

Cliff Lee, being presented with his jersey during a news conference, had a 2.94 ERA in five seasons with the Phillies.Laurence Kesterson / Staff Photographer

8. Cliff Lee, 2010

The excitement felt two months earlier with the arrival of Roy Halladay was tempered by the accompanying trade of Lee to Seattle. Lee became a hero in October of 2009 when he casually dominated the Yankees in the World Series. In December, he was gone. And it was pure joy when the Phils operated in secret — they were the “Mystery Team” — and signed Lee late at night at the winter meetings. Lee’s return was doubly sweet when it was reported that he picked the Phils over a better offer from the Yankees. The Four Aces were assembled 12 days before Christmas and the Daily News headline the next morning nailed it: Merry Cliffmas.

Terrell Owens is all smiles after a September 2004 Eagles win.JERRY LODRIGUSS / Staff Photographer

7. Terrell Owens, 2004

You knew Owens’ arrival was a big deal when they lit up “WE GOT T.O.” at the top of the PECO building, which then felt like the city’s way to celebrate big events. It took 12 days for the Eagles to land Owens, who had agreed to a deal with the Eagles before the 49ers traded him to Baltimore after his agent missed the deadline to void the final years of his contract and make him a free agent. A hearing was held at Penn where lawyers from the NFL and NFLPA argued if Owens should have been granted free agency. The parties agreed on a settlement: a three-way trade between the Eagles, 49ers, and Ravens that brought Owens to Philly. The team landed the piece they were missing after three straight losses in the NFC Championship Game. The party — remember his first preseason game? — was on.

The Daily News on July 1, 1992 with the news that the Flyers won the rights to 19-year-old center Eric Lindros, completing a blockbuster deal with Quebec.

6. Eric Lindros, 1992

The Flyers agreed to a deal with the Quebec Nordiques for Lindros before the 1992 NHL draft. But so did the Rangers. Now what? An arbitrator ruled that the Flyers-Nordiques deal came first so Lindros — who refused to play for Quebec and skipped the previous NHL season — belonged to Philly. Fans still remember the name Larry Bertuzzi, who was the arbiter who ruled in the Flyers’ favor. Lindros was pegged as a generational player and the best talent to enter the NHL since Mario Lemieux. The Flyers were five years removed from their last trip to the Stanley Cup Finals and Philly was still very much a hockey town. The arrival of Lindros was huge.

The Sixers and coach Billy Cunningham (left) rode to the championship in Moses Malone’s first season in Philly in 1982-83.(Philadelphia Daily News/George Reynolds)

5. Moses Malone, 1982

Who better to add after losing in the NBA Finals than the NBA MVP? That’s what happened to the Sixers after they fell to the Lakers in 1982 and went after Moses Malone. So how did they land him? Cash. Houston had the right to match any offer Malone signed since he was a restricted free agent so Harold Katz built a deal that he knew the new Rockets ownership group could not match. The contract was the largest in NBA history and was built on cash instead of deferred payments, stocks, or bonds. Katz said Houston would lose money if they agreed to the terms. They agreed with Katz and worked out a sign-and-trade to send Malone to Philly. The headlines wrote themselves — “76ers Hope to Follow Moses to Playoffs’ Promised Land,” said the Daily News back page — as the Sixers looked for their missing piece after promising Philly that they owed them a title. “There is good money to be spent and there is bad money. Money for Moses Malone is good money,” Katz said. His “Good money” was “Stupid Money” before “Stupid Money.”

Pete Rose (right) tells the media in 1978 that negotiations with Phillies owner Ruly Carpenter (left) were unsuccessful. Rose wanted more money than the Phillies were offering.Bill Ingraham

4. Pete Rose, 1978

Pete Rose came to Veterans Stadium in 1978, met with the Phillies, and then held a news conference — sitting alongside owner Ruly Carpenter — to say he declined the team’s offer that was substantially lower than others. Can you imagine that happening today? The Phils were out on Rose, who they thought was the player needed to get over the hump after years of near misses. But they got back in the box a week later at the winter meetings in Disney World. The Phillies upped their offer and landed Rose. No player until James came to Philly with a track record like Rose: an MVP, two World Series titles, three batting crowns, and on his way to becoming baseball’s hit king. And it almost didn’t happen. Inquirer columnist Larry Eichel wrote the next day that Rose was “the hired torch brought here in the hopes that his undying competitive fire will catch and ignite a team known as much for its listlessness and studied nonchalance as for its performance.” The Phillies were hoping for more than just a player but a new identity. Sounds familiar.

Julius Erving shakes hands with 76ers owner Fitz Eugene Dixon at a news conference to announce the signing of the former ABA star on Oct. 21, 1976.A

3. Dr. J, 1976

The Sixers outbid the Lakers and the Bucks to land Erving, who won three straight MVP awards in the ABA with the Nets and was considered to be the best player in the world. He reimagined the slam dunk earlier that year and kids dreamed of being like the Doctor long before they wanted to “Be Like Mike.” Like James, Dr. J was more than a basketball star: he was a celebrity. And he joined a team that made the playoffs the previous season for the first time in four years. The dormant Sixers were finally starting to emerge.

Bryce Harper is introduced to the Phillies with his new friend the Phanatic during a news conference on March 2, 2019 in Clearwater, Fla.Mike Ehrmann / MCT

2. Bryce Harper, 2019

You thought LeBron James took awhile to make a decision? The Bryce Harper chase lasted months and bled into spring training before Harper finally joined the Phils days after John Middleton flew his private jet to Las Vegas to give a final sales pitch. The saga was long, but it was filled with great drama: The Phils went to Vegas to meet Harper, hosted Manny Machado at Citizens Bank Park, lost Machado to the Padres, and then seemed to be losing Harper to the Dodgers. But then Middleton’s “Stupid Money” prevailed. It was euphoria best summed up by the 8-year-old kid who got off the school bus to learn Harper was a Phil: “What!? No. No. He’s a Dodger. You’re joking!”

Can LeBron and the Sixers win it all? We ran the numbers, and here’s how Philly’s revamped roster stacks up.

Harper beats out Dr. J and Rose because sports are just a bigger industry now than they were then. Every move — and flight — was tracked all offseason as the Phillies pursued their guy. Those other moves took a few weeks to finish. This was a quest. The team store at Citizens Bank Park ran out of the letter “E” to make Harper jerseys and Fanatics said it was the most popular sports jersey in a player’s first 48 hours with a team. The Phillies sold more than 100,000 tickets in the hours after Harper signed as everyone was swept up in the hysteria. The reactions were just different in 2019 than they were in 1976 or 1978.

LeBron James picked the Sixers to play with for his 24th NBA season in 2026-27.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

1. LeBron James, 2026

It made basketball sense for James to pick Philly after the Sixers traded for Jaylen Brown. James could join a win-ready roster with Brown, Tyrese Maxey, and Joel Embiid. Of course, he’s coming to Philly. But then the decision slowed down. Maybe we were thinking with our hearts and not our minds. The insiders narrowed his choice to Miami or Cleveland with Philly being a No. 3. And then came the best Friday news dump in Philadelphia history: James was joining the 76ers. It was the biggest transaction in the history of Philadelphia sports. Harper was exciting. This was bigger. Dr. J moved the needle but not like this. Pete Rose? Sorry, Charlie Hustle. That was no match for LeBron’s arrival. No matter what happens next, you’ll always remember where you were last Friday when LeBron picked Philly.

July 28, 2026
Year 2 is when LeBron James teams hit their championship stride. Here’s how they did it.

LeBron James chose the 76ers because he believes their new-look roster offers the best available option for him to push for a final NBA championship.

And the window is small, because James’ contract fits his age.

The 41-year-old signed a “one-plus-one” deal, aka a two-year, $8 million contract with a player option on the second season. That forced the Sixers to do some roster tinkering for salary-cap purposes, waiving guard Dalen Terry before officially signing James on Sunday.

It is fitting that James is likely to be in Philly for two seasons. At all three of his title-winning stops, he achieved that feat in the second year.

For those eager to proclaim that the Sixers are immediately championship-or-bust for the 2026-27 season, let that history serve as a reminder that it can take time even for a star-studded roster to figure things out.

Here is how James reached the NBA’s mountaintop at each previous stop:

Can LeBron and the Sixers win it all? We ran the numbers, and here’s how Philly’s revamped roster stacks up.

2010-12 Miami Heat

First season

After “The Decision” teamed James with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to create the “Big Three” in Miami, the Heat turned an infamously shaky 9-8 start into 58 victories and the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed. James, Wade, and Bosh all made the All-Star team.

Miami advanced to the NBA Finals, beating the Sixers in the first round along the way. But the Heat lost to the Dirk Nowitzki-led Dallas Mavericks, falling short of a championship in the first season of the “Heatles.”

LeBron James celebrates his first NBA title in 2012 with the Miami Heat. J Pat Carter

Second season

Following the NBA lockout, the Heat finished 46-20 and second in the East standings at the end of the shortened regular season. James won his third NBA Most Valuable Player award, and first with the Heat. James, Wade, and Bosh were All-Stars once again.

In the playoffs, Miami beat the Boston Celtics in a thrilling seven-game Eastern Conference finals series. Then they topped the upstart Oklahoma City Thunder — then led by a young Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden — to win James’ first NBA championship.

After adding LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, how will the Sixers’ roster fit? It’s going to be a process.

Though that Heat team did not accomplish the “not five … not six … not seven …” declaration of James’ flashy Miami introduction, it did win back-to-back titles (and reached four consecutive NBA Finals) before he returned home to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

2014-16 Cleveland Cavaliers

First season

James’ new “Big Three” with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love also got off to a slow start at 19-20. After trading for J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, and Tomofy Mozgov midseason, the Cavaliers finished second in the East standings with a 53-29 record. James and Irving both made All-NBA teams.

David Murphy: LeBron James’ maddening process was everything the Sixers needed

Cleveland advanced to the NBA Finals but lost to the Golden State Warriors to begin that team’s dynasty.

Toronto Raptors forward James Johnson fouls Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James during a playoff game in 2016.Frank Gunn

Second season

The Cavaliers underwent a critical midseason shakeup when, despite holding the East’s best record at the time (30-11), they fired coach David Blatt in January. They elevated then-assistant Ty Lue, who has since become one of the NBA’s most-respected coaches. Cleveland went on to finish the regular season 57-25 and atop of the Eastern Conference.

Mike Sielski: LeBron James believed he could win with Joel Embiid. The 2024 Olympics can show the Sixers how.

That playoff run then culminated in an unbelievable, storybook Finals against the Warriors. The Cavaliers became the first team to overcome a 3-1 Finals deficit, and won a dramatic Game 7 to deliver the franchise’s first NBA championship. James’ crunch-time block on Andre Iguodala, which preserved a tie before Irving’s go-ahead three-pointer, is considered a historic playoff moment.

James stayed with Cleveland for two more seasons — he reached the Finals each time to create a personal streak of eight in a row — but the Cavaliers lost again to Golden State both times.

2018-20 Los Angeles Lakers

First season

James in free agency joined a Lakers team primarily with young players, including Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, and Josh Hart. They slogged through an injury-riddled 2018-19 season — James only played 55 games — and missed the playoffs. It was the first time since 2006 that a James team had failed to reach the postseason.

Grading Mike Gansey’s transformational first offseason as Sixers president

Team president Magic Johnson stepped down at the end of the season in an abrupt and now-famous “I’m not gonna be here” news conference, and coach Luke Walton and the team also parted ways.

LeBron James hugs general manager Rob Pelinka after the Lakers won the NBA title in 2020.Wally Skalij / MCT

Second season

Under promoted executive Rob Pelinka, the Lakers acquired star big man Anthony Davis in a blockbuster trade and added former Sixers Danny Green and Dwight Howard as veteran complements.

The Lakers recorded the Western Conference’s best record (52-19) during a regular season interrupted for more than four months and then shortened because of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. James and Davis were both named first-team All-NBA.

The Lakers’ “bubble” playoff run at Disney World ended with topping the Heat to clinch the storied franchise’s first title since 2010. Some critics will put an imaginary asterisk next to it. But that will likely go down as the most bizarre circumstances under which any NBA team will win a championship.

July 28, 2026
LeBron James has been working out with Tyrese Maxey for years. Is this their first time as teammates?

LeBron James isn’t waiting to get to work with his new teammates.

On Monday morning, basketball trainer Chris Johnson posted a slideshow of James and Tyrese Maxey working out together, which appears to be from a recent session.

View this post on Instagram

On Friday, it was announced that James would be signing a $4 million contract with the Sixers for this season, with a player option for the next. The move was officially announced by the Sixers on Monday.

While James and Maxey will get to share the court this upcoming season, the two have a well-documented relationship off the court. The Kentucky alum is represented by Rich Paul, a longtime friend of James who built the Klutch Sports agency with LeBron as his very first client. Since getting drafted in 2020, Maxey and James have worked out together on many occasions.

View this post on Instagram

James has also thrown significant praise the 25-year-old’s way.

“Every morning, 5 a.m., we’re in the gym, 5:30, whatever, in the gym. And you just see his dedication,” James said in January on the Mind the Game podcast, which he hosts alongside two-time MVP Steve Nash. “Shows up on time, on target, every single day. A guy who just loves the game and is taking full advantage of the opportunity in Philly.”

LeBron went from 5 AM summer workouts with Tyrese Maxey to being teammates on the Sixers 🤝

Watch @mindthegamepod on @primevideo, YouTube and everywhere podcasts are available 🍿 pic.twitter.com/WNAFKH7Eon

— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) July 27, 2026

There are plenty of reasons to believe that Maxey’s presence was a large factor in James signing in Philadelphia. At the onset of free agency, Paul sat with Max Kellerman on their Game Over podcast to break down James’ prospective landing spots across a whiteboard. With little information available, many fans heavily parsed every detail of the whiteboard for potential clues.

What stood out most was that Tyrese Maxey was the only player to have a star next to his name.

Rich Paul says the Sixers have LeBron’s attention 👀

“How could not have the attention when you have Maxey, Edgecombe, Brown, Embiid.” pic.twitter.com/Qeoek91vRP

— PHLY Sports (@PHLY_Sports) July 3, 2026

Maxey’s actions proved that James’ supposed desire to team up with the two-time All-Star was not one-sided. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Maxey and Joel Embiid were both instrumental in recruiting James.

Following the signing, Maxey took to TikTok to express his excitement. “I’m like Coach Cal,” the caption read, referring to longtime college head coach John Calipari, who recruited Maxey to Kentucky.

July 28, 2026
Can LeBron and the Sixers win it all?
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Can LeBron and the Sixers win it all?

We ran the numbers, and here’s how Philly’s revamped roster stacks up.

By

Jasen Lo

,

Sam Morris

,

Charmaine Runes

, and

Garland Fordice

Published July 28, 2026

The LeBron-O-Meter has spoken: LeBron James is a Sixer, and he’s here to bring a championship to Philadelphia. “I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time,” he said on X when confirming the move to South Broad. But can this Sixers squad get the job done?

On paper, Philadelphia boasts one of the most formidable starting fives in the NBA. Adding James – to a core that already features former MVP Joel Embiid, 2024 Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, All-NBA guard Tyrese Maxey, and All-Rookie First Team selection V. J. Edgecombe – creates a lineup overloaded with talent.

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Could this be the best starting lineup of James’ career? And how does this group compare with some of the greatest championship teams in NBA history?

We ran the numbers.

Team PIE

Team PIE

Player Impact Estimate (PIE) is the NBA’s proprietary metric for measuring a player’s overall impact on an individual game. By incorporating box score statistics such as points, rebounds, missed shots and turnovers, PIE represents a player’s overall contribution to a game.

Let’s take Paul George’s 2026 regular season average PIE of 0.117. Not bad, but one that pales in comparison to Maxey’s 0.150 or Embiid’s 0.163.

We can then combine the averages of a starting lineup to get a proxy for quality. Last season, the Sixers’ best starting five recorded a total PIE of 0.605.

After the Sixers traded Paul George for Jaylen Brown and signed Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade, their projected starting lineup carried a combined PIE of 0.631, based on Brown’s 2026 Celtics numbers and Dean Wade’s 2026 Cavaliers numbers. That’s a 0.025 increase.

James’ arrival would push Dean Wade out of the Sixers’ projected starting lineup. Based on James’ 2026 Lakers numbers, Philadelphia’s starting five is projected to post a combined PIE of 0.711, an increase of 0.106 from last season.

But how do they compare to James’s previous championship squads?

James infamously joined the Miami Heat in 2010, leaving his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers to team up with fellow All-Stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The “Heatles” trio didn’t win a championship until the 2011-12 season.

This championship starting five posted a combined PIE of 0.660.

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In one of the defining moments of his career, James, alongside Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, defeated the record-setting 73-win Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals.

The championship team that delivered James’ third title, and Cleveland’s first major professional sports championship in more than 50 years, posted a combined starting-five PIE of 0.630 – still below the Sixers’ hypothetical projected total.

James captured his fourth NBA championship during the league’s pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season with the Los Angeles Lakers. The playoffs, held inside the NBA’s bio-secure “bubble” at Walt Disney World in Florida, featured James alongside All-NBA big man Anthony Davis and a veteran supporting cast.

That championship team’s starting five posted a combined PIE of 0.610 — the lowest of James’ four title-winning lineups and well below the Sixers’ projected mark.

Looking back at the last 18 NBA championship teams—including four led by James — the starting five with the highest combined PIE belongs to the 2017 Golden State Warriors. That lineup, featuring four All-Stars in Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, posted a combined PIE of 0.663.

Even that stacked starting five falls short of the future Sixers’ .

And what about the reigning NBA champion Knicks, who swept the Sixers in last year’s playoffs? Their starting five posted a combined PIE of just 0.605 last season.

So, should the City start planning the parade route already? Things are never that simple.

This analysis doesn’t account for how the new-look Sixers will gel, the strength of a team’s bench, the quality of their playoff opponents, the fact that the team with the best collective PIE doesn’t always win the championship, and more importantly for the Sixers, the impact of injuries. However, when looking at the PIE compared to recent championship winners, there’s no reason the Sixers shouldn’t be aiming high.

The 2026-27 Sixers have the best starting five compared to previous NBA champions.

Heat

2012

Heat

2013

Spurs

2014

Warriors

2015

Cavaliers

2016

Warriors

2017

Warriors

2018

Raptors

2019

Lakers

2020

Bucks

2021

Warriors

2022

Nuggets

2023

Celtics

2024

Thunder

2025

Knicks

2026

76ers

2026

76ers

2027*

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

Team PIE (Player Impact Estimate)

*projected total, based on individual player’s in 2026

Let’s hope that the Sixers’ projected greatness will come through on the court too, and that they can manifest their destiny as one of the greatest championship starting fives in NBA history.

Staff Contributors

Design and Development: Garland Fordice, Charmaine Runes, and Sam Morris

Data and Reporting: Jasen Lo

Editing: Sam Morris and Charmaine Runes

Copy Editing: Tony Moss

Methodology

The formula for Player Impact Estimate (PIE), is available here. Each player’s regular season PIE average was used, and the data was collected from NBA.com using the nba_api Python package.

For each team’s combined PIE figure, we used the team’s most used regular season starting lineup, and combined the regular season average PIE of each player.

One-number box score metrics, such as plus-minus, were not selected for this analysis because starters often share minutes with role players. As a result, role players in starting lineups may have inflated plus-minus statistics due to playing alongside more impactful teammates.

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Topics mentioned in this story

Jaylen Brown Joel Embiid Kelly Oubre Jr.Kyle Lowry LeBron James Paul George Tyrese Maxey VJ Edgecombe
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/*! Bundled license information:

animejs/dist/modules/core/consts.js:
(**
* Anime.js – core – ESM
* @version v4.5.0
* @license MIT
* @copyright 2026 – Julian Garnier
*)

animejs/dist/modules/core/globals.js:
(**
* Anime.js – core – ESM
* @version v4.5.0
* @license MIT
* @copyright 2026 – Julian Garnier
*)

animejs/dist/modules/core/helpers.js:
(**
* Anime.js – core – ESM
* @version v4.5.0
* @license MIT
* @copyright 2026 – Julian Garnier
*)

animejs/dist/modules/core/transforms.js:
(**
* Anime.js – core – ESM
* @version v4.5.0
* @license MIT
* @copyright 2026 – Julian Garnier
*)

animejs/dist/modules/adapters/registry.js:
(**
* Anime.js – adapters – ESM
* @version v4.5.0
* @license MIT
* @copyright 2026 – Julian Garnier
*)

animejs/dist/modules/core/colors.js:
(**
* Anime.js – core – ESM
* @version v4.5.0
* @license MIT
* @copyright 2026 – Julian Garnier
*)

animejs/dist/modules/core/values.js:
(**
* Anime.js – core – ESM
* @version v4.5.0
* @license MIT
* @copyright 2026 – Julian Garnier
*)

animejs/dist/modules/core/render.js:
(**
* Anime.js – core – ESM
* @version v4.5.0
* @license MIT
* @copyright 2026 – Julian Garnier
*)

animejs/dist/modules/core/styles.js:
(**
* Anime.js – core – ESM
* @version v4.5.0
* @license MIT
* @copyright 2026 – Julian Garnier
*)

animejs/dist/modules/core/clock.js:
(**
* Anime.js – core – ESM
* @version v4.5.0
* @license MIT
* @copyright 2026 – Julian Garnier
*)

animejs/dist/modules/animation/additive.js:
(**
* Anime.js – animation – ESM
* @version v4.5.0
* @license MIT
* @copyright 2026 – Julian Garnier
*)

animejs/dist/modules/engine/engine.js:
(**
* Anime.js – engine – ESM
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* @license MIT
* @copyright 2026 – Julian Garnier
*)

animejs/dist/modules/animation/composition.js:
(**
* Anime.js – animation – ESM
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* @license MIT
* @copyright 2026 – Julian Garnier
*)

animejs/dist/modules/timer/timer.js:
(**
* Anime.js – timer – ESM
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* @license MIT
* @copyright 2026 – Julian Garnier
*)

animejs/dist/modules/core/targets.js:
(**
* Anime.js – core – ESM
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* @license MIT
* @copyright 2026 – Julian Garnier
*)

animejs/dist/modules/core/units.js:
(**
* Anime.js – core – ESM
* @version v4.5.0
* @license MIT
* @copyright 2026 – Julian Garnier
*)

animejs/dist/modules/easings/none.js:
(**
* Anime.js – easings – ESM
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* @copyright 2026 – Julian Garnier
*)

animejs/dist/modules/easings/eases/parser.js:
(**
* Anime.js – easings – ESM
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* @copyright 2026 – Julian Garnier
*)

animejs/dist/modules/animation/animation.js:
(**
* Anime.js – animation – ESM
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* @license MIT
* @copyright 2026 – Julian Garnier
*)

animejs/dist/modules/timeline/position.js:
(**
* Anime.js – timeline – ESM
* @version v4.5.0
* @license MIT
* @copyright 2026 – Julian Garnier
*)

animejs/dist/modules/utils/number.js:
(**
* Anime.js – utils – ESM
* @version v4.5.0
* @license MIT
* @copyright 2026 – Julian Garnier
*)

animejs/dist/modules/waapi/composition.js:
(**
* Anime.js – waapi – ESM
* @version v4.5.0
* @license MIT
* @copyright 2026 – Julian Garnier
*)

animejs/dist/modules/utils/target.js:
(**
* Anime.js – utils – ESM
* @version v4.5.0
* @license MIT
* @copyright 2026 – Julian Garnier
*)

animejs/dist/modules/utils/time.js:
(**
* Anime.js – utils – ESM
* @version v4.5.0
* @license MIT
* @copyright 2026 – Julian Garnier
*)

animejs/dist/modules/utils/chainable.js:
(**
* Anime.js – utils – ESM
* @version v4.5.0
* @license MIT
* @copyright 2026 – Julian Garnier
*)

animejs/dist/modules/utils/random.js:
(**
* Anime.js – utils – ESM
* @version v4.5.0
* @license MIT
* @copyright 2026 – Julian Garnier
*)

animejs/dist/modules/utils/stagger.js:
(**
* Anime.js – utils – ESM
* @version v4.5.0
* @license MIT
* @copyright 2026 – Julian Garnier
*)

animejs/dist/modules/utils/index.js:
(**
* Anime.js – utils – ESM
* @version v4.5.0
* @license MIT
* @copyright 2026 – Julian Garnier
*)

animejs/dist/modules/index.js:
(**
* Anime.js – ESM
* @version v4.5.0
* @license MIT
* @copyright 2026 – Julian Garnier
*)
*/
July 28, 2026
After adding LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, how will the Sixers’ roster fit? It’s going to be a process.

Thirty-six All-Star honors. Twenty-nine All-NBA teams. Five NBA Most Valuable Player awards. Five NBA championships. Five Finals MVP awards.

Those are the combined accolades for four of the five members of the 76ers’ transformed starting lineup: the newly signed LeBron James, the recently acquired Jaylen Brown, and returnees Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid. And the other starter is VJ Edgecombe, who last season finished third on an excellent Rookie of the Year ballot and is widely viewed as capable of morphing into an All-Star and perhaps more.

It is an eye-popping look at the NBA’s newest on-paper super team, especially given the muted expectations entering the Sixers’ offseason.

But how will those decorated players all fit on the court, and with personalities all used to being the bona fide No. 1 option?

LeBron James believed he could win with Joel Embiid. The 2024 Olympics can show the Sixers how.

For all of those stars, it will be a test in sacrifice and adaptability and chemistry-building. It also is a challenge for coach Nick Nurse to create schemes that accentuate strengths individually and collectively.

This already was a complicated task last season. The Sixers leaned into the style of their electric young guards when Embiid was sidelined, but drifted back to playing through the big man when he was available, including in their rally from down 3-1 to beat the Boston Celtics in the playoffs’ first round. Yet high pace can still fuel these retooled Sixers, given the only player who scored more fast-break points per game than the certified speedster Maxey (5.7) was James, even in his age-41 season.

James also chose the Sixers because of the star power already in place, suggesting he understands the more complementary role he will occupy after what he called his final playing-destination decision.

He remains an elite offensive connector with off-the-charts basketball IQ. His championship habits — as evidenced by his 5 a.m. workout videos that have recently resurfaced, along with photos in the gym with Maxey that have circulated on social media in recent days — will be invaluable to a franchise that has not advanced past the playoffs’ second round since 2001.

LebBon James and Tyrese Maxey maintained a brother-like relationship before becoming teammates.Bill Streicher, Bill Streicher-I

James already has experience creating a super team with the Miami Heat, starring alongside Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh and winning two titles. But perhaps the best preparation for James’ role in Philly was last season with the Los Angeles Lakers, when he was the third option behind in-their-prime stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

The Sixers, meanwhile, have already known for almost a month that they were adding Brown — an All-NBA wing who finished sixth in MVP voting last season — to the Maxey-Embiid-Edgecombe core.

Brown is coming off a season he defined as his “favorite,” because he was the top offensive weapon and helped written-off teammates overachieve expectations during a regular season mostly played without fellow star Jayson Tatum. Brown offers a blend of athleticism and strength — yes, including using that off arm — to separate from defenders and get his own shot.

But how will Brown shift back into a costar role? Nurse reminded during Las Vegas Summer League that the Sixers were already attempting to leverage a “1-3-5” positional trio with Maxey at guard, Paul George on the wing, and Embiid at center. But it never consistently materialized because those three players logged only 36 regular-season games together in two seasons.

“It’ll be a big part of our thought process on the offensive end right now,” Nurse said of the Brown fit. “And then it will take some polishing and massaging.”

Jaylen Brown is now eligible to sign a one-year contract extension with the Sixers

Though James and Embiid are expected to enter the upcoming season healthier than in recent years, it is reasonable to expect they will still miss games and limit minutes in order to gear up for the playoffs. That approach would make the younger and more durable Maxey and Brown the most consistent primary scoring options.

Maxey elevated himself to All-NBA status for the first time last season, while further cementing himself as the Sixers’ unquestioned tone-setter and leader. The 25-year-old also led the league in minutes per game (38), and needed to carry an unfair offensive load while Embiid and/or George were sidelined.

The Knicks’ trapping defense stifled Maxey during their second-round playoff sweep, when he averaged only 18.3 points and shot 3-of-19 from three-point range while still nursing an injured pinkie finger. He called those four games “definitely one of the hardest [playoff] series I’ve played in, just for myself” and vowed to learn and improve during the offseason.

Now defenses won’t be able to put the bulk of their attention on Maxey. James’ playmaking — plus Edgecombe’s progress as a lead ballhandler — also should allow Maxey to regularly slide off the ball. Nurse said earlier this month that he wants Maxey to continue developing his midrange scoring to complement his explosive drives to the rim and deep three-pointers.

For Embiid, the arrival of James and Brown should ease the pressure of the Sixers’ entire universe — on and off the court — revolving around the 2023 MVP.

Though the mid-post still is an area of the court where Embiid can operate in the offensive flow, he may need to fight the muscle memory to create with the ball in his hands at all times. Perhaps he can lean into his 2024 Olympics experience, where he deferred and still found his moment to dominate in a comeback win against Serbia on a superstar-filled roster that also included James. Embiid regaining his three-point shooting prowess — he made 32.2% in 57 games the past two seasons, after connecting on 38.8% in 2023-24 — would be a big boost.

A cynic could say this roster revamp could stunt the development of Edgecombe. Though the second-year guard might not have as many plays run for him, Edgecombe’s athleticism can still be fully unleashed in the open court, including coast-to-coast opportunities.

“Instead of two of those a game,” Nurse said of Edgecombe in Las Vegas, “I’d like to see 10. Or at least try. I just think there’s a little bit more pace he can add to his game offensively.”

Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey served as a mentor for VJ Edgecombe in his rookie season. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

And if anyone is worried Edgecombe might be perturbed about James’ signing, consider this: Edgecombe grew up watching James’ Heat teams as a kid in the Bahamas. He did a jersey swap with James the first time they matched up against each other in December. And he posted a photo of himself mimicking James’ “Smiling through it all! Can’t believe this is my life” meme upon learning they would be teammates.

It is reasonable to have concerns about the Sixers’ defense, given James and Embiid have taken clear steps back on that end of the floor. The Knicks deliberately put Embiid in pick-and-rolls during the playoffs, and he is not the rim protector he once was because he limits jumping in an effort to protect his surgically repaired left knee.

VJ Edgecombe is smiling through it all, can’t believe this is his life pic.twitter.com/s6t9NSP3qL

— Gabriela Carroll (@gablcarroll) July 24, 2026

Further down the depth chart, newcomer Dean Wade will now shift from projected starting forward to a key bench contributor. There are situations when his perimeter defense will be enticing in closing lineups, and could create fascinating decisions for Nurse when the roster is fully healthy. It also will be interesting to monitor how the coach staggers his stars with those reserves, which also include Anfernee Simons, Labaron Philon Jr., Dominick Barlow, Justin Edwards, and Adem Bona (or Ariel Hukporti).

How long will this all take to figure out? Remember this: James did not win a title until his second season with Miami, in his return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and with the Lakers.

So expect transferring the NBA’s newest on-paper super team to an actual basketball fit to be … wait for it … a process.

July 27, 2026

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