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Tag: Jaylen Brown

  • LeBron James stays cagey and lauding Tyrese Maxey’s work on the phones: Five takeaways from Sixers media day

    LeBron James stays cagey and lauding Tyrese Maxey’s work on the phones: Five takeaways from Sixers media day

    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.

    LeBron James is focused on 'living in the moment' with the Sixers
    Video: LeBron James is focused on ‘living in the moment’ with the Sixers

    “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.”

    LeBron James’ goal in Philly is clear: ‘I didn’t leave my family to lose in the second round’

    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.

    LeBron James on how much Tyrese Maxey played a factor in his decision to choose Philly
    Video: LeBron James on how much Tyrese Maxey played a factor in his decision to choose Philly

    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.”

    Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey receive information from the photographer during media day.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

    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.

    Yes, the Iverson-era black Sixers jerseys are back. Here’s what else LeBron James and Co. will be wearing.

    “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.

    LeBron James on Philly sports fans: 'They know ball'
    Video: LeBron James on Philly sports fans: ‘They know ball’

    “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.

    Jaylen Brown adjusting in ‘phases’ to his new home with the Sixers

    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.

    VJ Edgecombe during a photo shoot at Sixers media day at the Penn Medicine Training Complex in Camden on Monday.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

    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.”

  • The Sixers’ Blue X White scrimmage will move to Xfinity Mobile Arena because of increased demand

    The Sixers’ Blue X White scrimmage will move to Xfinity Mobile Arena because of increased demand

    The Sixers are moving their Blue X White scrimmage to Xfinity Mobile Arena for the first time ever.

    After a summer of big moves that have led to historic demand for Sixers basketball, fans will get their first chance to see new stars LeBron James and Jaylen Brown in action on the court at noon on Oct. 3 at Xfinity Mobile.

    Admission will require a $10 donation to the Sixers Youth Foundation, similar to the Eagles’ $10 annual open practice at Lincoln Financial Field. Season-ticket holders will have first access, followed by a general on-sale allotment on Monday, Sept. 28 at 3 p.m. The Sixers will also donate 5,000 tickets to Sixers Youth Foundation grantees. Parking will be complimentary.

    The event will kick off with a pregame fan festival outside the arena, which will include giveaways, shooting challenges, and more starting at 9:30 a.m. before the scrimmage.

    In previous years, the scrimmage was hosted in Wilmington at the home of the Blue Coats, the Sixers’ G League affiliate. But the unprecedented demand — including unprecedented regular-season ticket prices — led to the expanded interest and capacity for this year’s scrimmage, in collaboration with new team sponsor BodyArmor.

  • Sixers fans experience sticker shock after single-game tickets go on sale for 2026-27 season

    Sixers fans experience sticker shock after single-game tickets go on sale for 2026-27 season

    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 last 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).

    Sixers are bringing back longtime PA announcer Matt Cord

    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.

    Sixers tickets are still well below that threshold. Even on the secondary market, tickets for marquee games like the home opener vs. the Cavs and home games against the Knicks start at approximately $359.

    After the Sixers’ disastrous 2024-25 season, when Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey suffered season-ending injuries and the team won 24 games, the Sixers offered season-ticket holders the opportunity to extend for two seasons at the same price.

    That means ticket holders who chose to renew are still paying the same rate from two seasons ago to watch a team now featuring James and Brown.

    Currently, season-ticket holders cannot sell or transfer their tickets through the member portal on Ticketmaster, so secondary-market prices could drop further as more inventory becomes available. But others already are listing tickets on platforms like StubHub, with plans to transfer later.

    Adem Bona hypes up the fans after during Game 3 of the Sixers’ first-round series against Boston in April.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    Resale policies changed over the summer. Before the Sixers signed James, full season-ticket holders could sell up to 10 games without facing a penalty. Since James’ signing, a contract sent to The Inquirer showed that number has dropped to seven games, and season-ticket holders already are reporting that the Sixers are sending notices to fans who have been identified as potential brokers that their tickets could be revoked.

    During a season of high expectations and increased fan interest, full and partial season-ticket prices also have risen dramatically, even since the beginning of the summer. One season-ticket holder who invested after the Sixers traded for Brown, but before they signed James, secured a lower-level package for approximately $250 per ticket per game. Single-game tickets in a similar location are running upward of $1,000 for marquee games at face value.

    Former Sixer Paul George says Celtics fans’ response to Jaylen Brown trade was ‘fair’

    “I think ultimately, this will be good for the city and for the Sixers,” comedian and Sixers fan Samantha Ruddy said. “… There will be more passion in the stands than last season, but I’ll miss getting to have a night out at an NBA game for a bargain with my buds.”

    Ticket availability, especially in the more expensive lower-bowl sections, already is limited after just days of single-game tickets being on sale. The Sixers open training camp on Sept. 29 before beginning the season on the road at the Knicks on Oct. 20.

  • ‘You see where big dog ended up?’ Anthony Edwards roasts LeBron James, Jaylen Brown in sneaker ad

    ‘You see where big dog ended up?’ Anthony Edwards roasts LeBron James, Jaylen Brown in sneaker ad

    Anthony Edwards came for new 76ers stars LeBron James and Jaylen Brown in a roast-style commercial released Thursday afternoon.

    In the video promoting his new sneakers with Adidas, the Anthony Edwards 3, the Minnesota Timberwolves star dunked on James’ decision to play for the Sixers.

    “You see where big dog ended up? He was going to join me in Minnesota, but I guess his knees couldn’t handle the cold weather,” Edwards said jokingly.

    LeBron James is on a tour of Angola this week to support his … electric powerboat racing team?

    The comedy continued in the commercial, dubbed “Minn-Atlanta-Sota,” a homage to Edwards’ hometown. Edwards also came for their haircuts — or lack thereof.

    “We know why he really made that decision,” Edwards said. “Philly has some of the best barbers in the world. Between him and ol’ boy from Boston, they’re going to have a whole lot of enhancements going on in the locker room.”

    Those “enhancements” Edwards is referring to? Hair spray paint. Both basketball stars have been the butt of jokes about their hairlines.

    Brown caught flak last season for hair product mishaps after the product appeared to rub off onto opponents’ jerseys during games. James, 41, is no stranger to jabs at his hairline, having gone viral for his suspiciously thick hair in Space Jam and faced more than a few hair transplant accusations. Basketball fans on social media are now joking about the newly teamed-up duo’s shared struggle.

    @nbcsboston

    Jaylen Brown’s spray on hair rubbed off again… 😂

    ♬ original sound – NBC Sports Boston – NBC Sports Boston

    Not even the NBA champions were safe.

    “If you’re on the court against me, anybody could get it, even your daddy. I don’t care if he’s your assistant coach,” Edwards said in a lighthearted dig at ’Nova Knick Jalen Brunson and his dad, New York Knicks assistant Rick Brunson.

    Edwards, who led his team to a 49-33 record and the Western Conference semifinals last season, also said that for his upcoming season, “the cage is open, and the dog is unleashed.” Sixers fans will get to see that up close on Jan. 16, when the Timberwolves visit Xfinity Mobile Arena.

    Anthony Edwards will face Tyrese Maxey and the Sixers in January.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
  • Former Sixer Paul George says Celtics fans’ response to Jaylen Brown trade was ‘fair’

    Former Sixer Paul George says Celtics fans’ response to Jaylen Brown trade was ‘fair’

    Boston Celtics fans took to social media expressing their disappointment in the offseason trade of Jaylen Brown to the 76ers for Paul George and draft picks in early July.

    A 6-year-old Brown fan even went viral for his reaction to the announcement.

    The reaction for Celtics fans largely centered on the Celtics moving on from Brown, who had been one of the organization’s top players and a key part of their NBA championship in 2023-24. He established himself as one of Boston’s most dependable players and is coming off a season in which he averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists.

    During his introductory news conference on Tuesday, George said the immediate response from Celtics fans was “fair.”

    “Listen, I understand the circumstances. I understand how huge JB was, not only for the organization, but here in the city,” George said. “So I didn’t take it [personally]. To be honest, they should have a relationship, emotionally, to that trade. But my job here is to kind of come into a great opportunity for me.”

    George is a nine-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA selection, and former MVP contender who has spent 16 seasons in the NBA. However he suffered multiple injuries that limited him to just 78 games in the past two seasons.

    “Obviously, the last two years have been rough, just with injuries,” said George, who spent 2024-25 and 2025-26 with the Sixers. “But for myself, personally, I feel great again. I feel like I’ve turned that corner of dealing with injuries and now kind of reestablishing myself from a physical standpoint again. And with that, I can carry it over to the court.”

    Sixers’ Jaylen Brown channels outer space with his new signature shoes

    George is focused on proving to Celtics fans that the organization made the right decision.

    “Hopefully, with how we start this year, they understand this is a new team and something that they can be proud of,” he said.

  • Sixers’ Jaylen Brown channels outer space with his new signature shoes that are ‘NOT from HERE’

    Sixers’ Jaylen Brown channels outer space with his new signature shoes that are ‘NOT from HERE’

    About a year ago, Jaylen Brown and Que Gaskins were searching for creative teams to help Brown’s brand, 741 Performance, launch what they called its “second album” — a sneaker rollout named “NOT from HERE.”

    Longtime sneaker designers Sean O’Shea and Geoff Deas, whose resumés include brands like Nike, Adidas, Puma, Converse, and Anta Sports, were among the candidates. O’Shea and Deas were Anta’s general manager and creative director, respectively, and key figures in launching the China-based brand in the U.S. They offered their expertise to Brown’s brand.

    LeBron James releasing sneaker to commemorate only All-Star Game he missed

    “That’s our major goal: How do we get [Brown] off the ground because there aren’t that many players who have had their own brand,” O’Shea recently told The Inquirer. “So I think that’s where we came in. That’s our biggest focus. … Not that we don’t want to get paid, but it’s way more important, from our point of view, that it gets off the ground and becomes successful and is a competitor with some of the big guys.”

    New world order

    As Brown, who was traded to the Sixers in July, and Gaskins, the CEO of 741 Performance, approached the brand’s second sneaker rollout, they wanted to push “the status quo and challenge different traditions and standards and boundaries” of the sneaker industry.

    The shoe will come in three colorways, which Gaskins calls “worlds”: black, gray, and red.

    The “NOT from HERE” collection will also include clothing, a “performance recovery shoe” that can serve as a lifestyle sneaker, and a “recovery slide” to wear after workouts. The brand plans to add more colorways and potentially a running shoe next spring.

    Brown already has immersed himself in Philly, but the “NOT from HERE” collection has taken on a new meaning after his decade-long run in Boston.

    Detailed look of Jaylen Brown’s new shoes via his 741 Performance brand.Courtesy of Geoff Deas and Sean O'Shea

    “I think him understanding, ‘I want to be able to open up young people’s minds and have them think about even places that they’re not even aware of.’ I think all of that symbolism, all of that energy, all of that frequency is a part of what we’ve been trying to build,” Gaskins said. “Even the idea of this album being called ‘NOT from HERE’ and how it’s played out now because he’s even playing on the [Sixers] when this product will launch in Philly, where he’s not from.

    “Now, being in a new market … and being able to tell that story is ultimately what we were trying to do with this project and with this collection.”

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    Gaskins will have a large hand in helping Brown’s brand compete in the industry. He is no stranger to the sneaker business or Philadelphia athletes. He played a key role in Allen Iverson landing at Reebok 30 years ago. Gaskins was responsible for the “Iverson business,” and the RBK division of the brand, he says. He also served in several leadership roles in the National Basketball Players Association, where he met Brown in 2017. He helped advise Brown when he was weighing sneaker deal options before creating his own in 2024 and has been the CEO of 741 Performance since March 2025.

    “I really think [Brown’s] trying to build something bigger that’s really representative of the work I’ve always done,” Gaskins said. “Even with the work I did with Allen and the cultural impact that he was having on the world — I’ve always felt like these guys had great power, great influence, and I think someone like Jaylen understands that.

    “What Jaylen is building, I think it’s bigger than just a shoe company. If I’m being honest, I think he’s really trying to create a new reference standard for how athletes can take ownership.”

    Jaylen Brown (left) wearing his 741 Rover signature shoes during the playoffs last season for Boston.Charles Krupa

    Brown released his debut sneaker, the Rover 741, in 2024. But Gaskins, who calls himself Brown’s “sous chef,” didn’t want to “stall or hurt or hinder” the progress of the brand by sticking with the same designers on every new project. Gaskins noted that Brown “had this ability to connect with a lot of types of different people, a lot of types of creators.”

    That’s where O’Shea and Deas come in. They have taken over production of Brown’s debut shoe along with “all the design, apparel, footwear, everything for the second [shoe rollout].”

    Sneaker culture is having a moment in Philly — and everyone is getting in on it

    “If this was the music industry, we weren’t just making music. We were doing everything that like a Capitol Records or somebody [like that] was trying to do also,” O’Shea said. “So it’s like we were printing albums. We’re trying to do all of it. That’s the cool thing about Jaylen and what he’s trying to do is he wants to make sure he owns, or at least understands, all of it.”

    Deas estimates the newest shoe is “about 90% there right now,” with some adjustments still to come, including a drop-in footbed to account for basketball players who use orthotics in their shoes.

    The planned initial release of the shoe to retailers is late November, but O’Shea says Brown “will be ready to go to play in it” by Sixers media day on Sept. 28. The shoe will make its regular-season debut in the team’s opener against the Knicks on Oct. 20 (7 p.m., NBC10).

    Inside the shoe details

    The design and model for the “NOT from HERE” shoe is based on Brown’s love for outer space, says Gaskins. After getting acclimated to Brown’s vision, O’Shea and Deas worked on creating and executing a design “with the limited innovations and materials and technologies we have here.”

    A sketch rendering of Jaylen Brown’s new shoes, “NOT from HERE,” shoes, designed by Geoff Deas and Sean O’Shea.Courtesy of Geoff Deas and Sean O'Shea

    “We’re trying to mirror, I think, the vision of the growth of his brand. So the [741 Rover], the first shoe … it’s like from Earth to the journey to getting out there and just like his brand, the exploration of it,” O’Shea said. “The design language is very human design language, the way it’s engineered. And then we took that and we said, ‘Hey, from there, let’s do it as if you’re out there and now you’re in this open space.’

    “It’s more about what’s out there [in space]. Even the design language is as if it was made in space and organically. There’s no human lines on it. It’s like it almost the technology grew symbiotically. It’s technology meets something that’s really not from here.”

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    Added Deas: “[We were] just building out the inspiration boards and trying to see what kind of organic shapes can mash together — like if a spaceship went through space and it was catching some sort of creature.”

    The low top shoe’s design in the black colorway mimics “technology circuit boards” on the upper part with a green underlay to “lean into that metallic, iridescent finish” of the prototype to lean into the space theme with a midsole “popping out and [that] locks [the shoe] in place” to ensure Brown’s feet don’t slide while he’s playing.

    A closer look at the design of Jaylen Brown's new 3D-printed shoes
    Video: A closer look at the design of Jaylen Brown’s new 3D-printed shoes

    The laces are hidden because the pair are hoping to add a boa system for the shoe, which is an adjustable dial to make the shoe tighter around an ankle. Gaskins said the boa system, which is uncommon in basketball sneakers, likely won’t be in the first wave of the shoe’s release — but hopes to provide it “later in the year, maybe for a playoff run.”

    Brown has played in the new sneakers and posted them on Instagram, including during the viral workout video with new teammates LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey. Because the shoe is a prototype, Brown is using this time to test it during workouts and other events he’s participated in this summer. The feedback, said Deas and O’Shea, “was pretty immediate,” and O’Shea added that Brown is “very, very involved.”

    “We really wanted to get in there and think for him almost so that creatively,” O’Shea said, “we could produce stuff that really encompasses his vision and where he wants to go with the brand and creatively, how he connects to the kids.”

  • Just how much will the Sixers starting lineup have to sacrifice for one another? Here’s a look at the numbers.

    Just how much will the Sixers starting lineup have to sacrifice for one another? Here’s a look at the numbers.

    In the wake of the 76ers’ monumental offseason, one concern that players have already started addressing in various statements is, “How much are players going to sacrifice?”

    Having as much talent as the Sixers have on their roster naturally leads to questions about roles and shot distribution, since there’s only one ball to go around.

    Landing Jaylen Brown and LeBron James in the same offseason will of course invite skeptics who doubt the fit and wonder whether everyone’s games can mesh. But this is a champagne problem in the NBA. Most teams would be lucky to have this as one of its main issues heading into training camp.

    New Sixer Jaylen Brown acknowledged that his team will need to sacrifice. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    “Obviously it’s a lot of guys with talent,” Brown said last month. “It’s egos, but to win, you got to be able to sacrifice, be able to have trust and communication.”

    Along those lines, here’s a look at how the Sixers might address that through the lens of a statistic that measures how often a player consumes his team’s possessions, usage rate, which measures how often a team’s possessions ends with either a shot, free throws or a turnover from a particular player when he is on the floor.

    A glance at the starting five

    First, here were the individual usage rates last season (according to NBA.com) for each player in the projected starting five, and where they ranked in the league.

    • Tyrese Maxey: 28.6% (27th)
    • VJ Edgecombe: 19.6% (181st)
    • Jaylen Brown: 35.1% (third)
    • LeBron James: 26.2% (47th)
    • Joel Embiid: 33.6% (sixth)

    Potential paths forward

    Quick addition will show all those percentages equal 143.1 when they need to equal closer to 100 (since not everyone will always be playing together at the same time). In some lineup combinations, and in games in which Embiid and/or James don’t play, that’ll be the time for Maxey, Edgecombe and Brown to have higher usage stretches than they would have when everyone is healthy. But when all five are healthy and on the floor, likely everyone is going to have to sacrifice to make the usage pie work.

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    James has already indicated with his play that this is where he is headed in his career, and perhaps why general manager Mike Gansey has been hyping up James’ ability to be a connector.

    James’ usage actually hit a career low last season, as he ceded more scoring opportunities in the Los Angeles Lakers offense to Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic. This worked for the Lakers, who were playing well before Reaves and Doncic got hurt later in the season. James averaged 7.2 assists, so having him lean more into a connector and creator role in the Sixers’ offense is a prime way for the offense to generate shots naturally when the starting five is on the floor.

    This could allow Maxey to play more frequently off the ball, where he can be efficient from three-point range.

    Looking at Brown’s numbers

    Another obvious place to look for decreased usage is Brown, who saw a spike in that statistic with Jayson Tatum out for the majority of last season for the Boston Celtics. Brown went from 28.2% the prior season to his 35.1% mark last year (he attempted four more shots, averaged 2.4 free throws and one more turnover per game).

    The Sixers’ star-studded lineup could mean big things for Tyrese Maxey’s three-point shooting

    Brown returning to a usage level similar to what he had playing alongside Tatum makes sense, considering he won’t have to shoulder the burden of heavy shot creation playing alongside Maxey, Embiid and James. How he adjusts his game to the roster around him is one of the more interesting questions of the early part of the Sixers season and could go a long way to determining just what this team looks like.

    A load off Embiid’s shoulders, and legs

    The potential path to Embiid’s role on the team may lie in his 2024 Olympics experience playing with James. There, Embiid took on a reduced role on Team USA’s path to the gold medal.

    Joel Embiid served as a role player on the Team USA win in the 2024 Olympics. AFP via Getty Images

    The offense doesn’t have to run through him when he’s on the floor, especially if the Sixers are going to utilize one of the strengths of this roster — getting out in transition. This could serve a dual purpose in freeing up shots for the rest of the lineup while allowing Embiid to avoid accumulating as much wear and tear game to game.

    Getting out in transition

    The Sixers have four of the top 15 scorers in transition from a season ago. One way to get everyone his fill of shots is to play fast and have more possessions. If the Sixers commit to playing that way some of the usage issues will take care of themselves. Inevitably, there will still be things to figure out in the halfcourt, especially when it comes to who is taking what shots late in close games.

    That will take time to sort through. But the Sixers, in their comments so far this summer, have indicated they know the challenge ahead, and so far, they seem willing to tackle it head on instead of avoiding it.

  • Which member of the Sixers’ Big 5 will have to sacrifice most?

    Which member of the Sixers’ Big 5 will have to sacrifice most?

    The 76ers are entering the 2026-27 season with an embarrassment of riches. LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe have formed a group that president of basketball Mike Gansey dubbed the “Big Five.”

    They’ve said and done the right things this summer, from team workouts during the offseason to discussing their willingness to give for the greater good.

    During a recent interview, Maxey was asked about Edgecombe potentially needing to sacrifice in his second season. Maxey rejected the idea and said every player on the team will need to take a step back. But that made The Inquirer wonder: Who will sacrifice the most this season?

    With that in mind, our Sixers team offers insight on who will need to embrace the most change in order for this star-studded roster to succeed.

    Chris Hine, Sixers beat writer: Joel Embiid

    Never in his NBA career has Embiid had a usage rate below 32.9%, the statistic that calculates how often a team’s possessions end with the player generating a shot attempt, committing a turnover, or going to the free-throw line. Everyone else in the Sixers’ starting lineup has had fluctuations in their usage throughout their careers, while Edgecombe posted a usage rate of 20.1% as a rookie. Brown won a championship in 2024 alongside a higher-usage player in Jayson Tatum, while James had a career low in usage last season while ceding possessions to Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves with the Lakers.

    In other words, Embiid hasn’t often had to play in the NBA while not being the focal point of the offense or having the ball in his hands a lot. That likely will have to change this season. The seven-time All-Star center will have to make adjustments on how to impact the game more offensively while taking fewer shots and using the gravity he draws to generate good looks for his teammates.

    Joel Embiid and LeBron James first played together as teammates in the 2024 Olympics. AFP via Getty Images

    If his 2024 Olympics performance alongside James is any indication, though, Embiid has shown he is willing to do that in the name of winning. Perhaps a lower usage rate in games also equates to less wear and tear on his body over the course of the season and will allow him a better chance of being in peak form come playoff time.

    One of the luxuries for this Sixers team is that anyone in the starting lineup is capable of carrying the team at any given moment, on any given night. There will still be nights on which Embiid does that, but perhaps not as much as he has had to throughout his career.

    DeAntae Prince, Sixers editor: Tyrese Maxey

    Maxey was selected with the No. 21 pick in the 2020 NBA draft as a backup point guard to provide support for Ben Simmons and Shake Milton. During the subsequent regular season, he also played fewer minutes than Seth Curry and Furkan Korkmaz.

    Let that sink in.

    Of course, he did provide a few flashes that postseason and had a breakout of sorts in his second season, but the expectation still wasn’t for Maxey to become an All-NBA-caliber player. That changed in his fourth season, when he averaged 25.9 points, 6.2 assists, and 3.7 rebounds and was named an All-Star (alongside Embiid) and Most Improved Player.

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    Since then, Maxey has become the franchise, making good on the nickname Embiid gave him early in his career. Now an All-NBA player and two-time All-Star, Maxey served as his team’s unquestioned leader for the past two seasons as Embiid and Paul George struggled to stay on the court. This offseason brought about more change with the additions of James and Brown, and no player on the roster will experience a bigger change to their existence than Maxey.

    What does all that mean for him? He will be asked to share more than ever since becoming a star with the Sixers. He will share the ball, leadership responsibilities, and accolades. He will be point guard for a new “Big Five″ in Philly after finishing fifth in NBA scoring at 28.3 points and maintaining a 28.6% usage rate, which sat among the top 30 players in the league last season. Brown, at 35.1%, was third behind Dončić and Giannis Antetokounmpo. James wasn’t far behind Maxey at 27%.

    Add that Brown, a former Eastern Conference and NBA Finals MVP, was tasked with helping lead the Sixers by Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment president of sports Bob Myers and that James, one of the best players in NBA history, has been lauded for his ability to lead since he was a teenager. It will be Maxey’s job to keep Brown, James, and Embiid happy and continue to nurture the development of Edgecombe. Still, after getting the keys to the franchise, Maxey will need to hand a piece of it back.

  • The LeBron hype has not died down as Sixers fans line up outside the arena for James and Jaylen Brown jerseys

    The LeBron hype has not died down as Sixers fans line up outside the arena for James and Jaylen Brown jerseys

    It’s been over a month since LeBron James announced he was coming to Philly to finish his career with the 76ers, and the fanfare has not slowed down.

    The Sixers team store at Xfinity Mobile Arena opened on Tuesday (and will be open again on Wednesday), giving fans another opportunity to get their hands on fresh gear ahead of the season, including newly-minted James and Jaylen Brown jerseys.

    Fans who lined up outside the store before it opened to secure the new jerseys were greeted by members of the Sixers entertainment team and music as they entered the store.

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    Victoria Isley, the team’s vice president of partnership solutions, said that while the store is normally open only on game days, the Sixers wanted to do something special to help fans gear up for the season given the hype surrounding the team — and the demand for James jerseys.

    “Fans have been so excited since this entire offseason, [with] multiple acquisitions,” Isley said. “So I think we’re ready to have the season start, and I think fans are showing it by lining up early to get their gear and their jerseys ahead of the season.”

    Evelina Capelli, 12, and her brother Anthony Capelli, 10, of South Philadelphia, are greeted by the Sixers Entertainment Squad as they enter the team store at Xfinity Mobile Arena.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    Turning the team store into an event, Isley said, was the Sixers organization’s way of showing what it expects the vibes to be like all season. Isley believes the excitement will continue into media day and the start of preseason, carrying all the way into the season opener.

    And most fans at the store on Tuesday — like 21-year-old Cam Johnson, from Oak Ridge, N.J. — expect the excitement of the season to culminate with a parade down Broad Street.

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    “The hype is definitely going to continue,” Johnson said. “Anytime you got LeBron James on your team, you’re going to get heightened media attention, fan attention, all that. But we got the GOAT on our team, in my opinion, two GOATs on our team, and I expect to win a championship because this team made it to the second round last year.

    “Now you’re inserting the greatest player of all time with this team — and I think he fits seamlessly — and now you got Jaylen Brown too. I got high expectations.”

    Stacy Romeo, of South Philly, looks over some Sixers gear while Antoine Mapp, leader of the Sixers Stixers drum line, brings the energy.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    While Johnson believes James, 41, to be the best player ever, he thinks that this season, Brown, 29, will make the bigger on-court impact for the Sixers and average more points than James due to the different stages of their careers.

    Still, it was James’ jersey that was the main event on Tuesday.

    Stephanie Hannum, 36, drove from Cape May to buy her son a James jersey ahead of his 14th birthday on Wednesday. Hannum used to have to buy her son James merchandise in yellow and purple when he was with the Los Angeles Lakers.

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    Now, with James on the Sixers, Hannum said she hopes to take her son to more games while wearing red and blue to support his favorite team and favorite player.

    “He’s a huge LeBron fan and a 76ers fan,” Hannum said. “As soon as [James] got signed, it was like all he could talk about, so I was like, I need to drive up here to get this today.”

    Fortunately, Hannum was able to find one that fit her son. Some fans had complained about a lack of available youth jerseys, but a Sixers representative noted that was due to the demand, and they restocked later in the afternoon.

    Noah Hammad, 12, wears the jersey of one Philly great while shopping for merchandise of the city’s newest superstar, LeBron James. Hammad had to settle for a T-shirt due to a lack of jerseys in youth sizes.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    The combination of Philly fans, known for being an impassioned group, and hard core James’ supporters, who follow him from team to team, has caused the future Hall of Famer’s Sixers jerseys to become a hot commodity. James quickly passed Shohei Ohtani for the most jersey sales after switching teams, according to Fanatics.

    When James’ jersey hit Dick’s Sporting Goods, they quickly flew off the shelves there too.

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    At the team store in South Philly on Tuesday, the turnout was just the latest display of the fan base’s passion and excitement for the season, which Isley said stems from “nothing but love.”

    “The fans have been waiting, and I think they’re just so excited to rep the gear, to get LeBron’s jersey, to get Jaylen’s jersey, to get [Tyrese] Maxey’s jersey,” Isley said. “So, it’s incredible to see everyone come out and bring everyone together.”

  • Is Ariel Hukporti ready to become the Sixers’ backup center? A Knicks reporter weighs in.

    Is Ariel Hukporti ready to become the Sixers’ backup center? A Knicks reporter weighs in.

    A wild 76ers offseason has finally settled, after they stunningly signed LeBron James and traded for Jaylen Brown to vault into championship contender status.

    To help Sixers followers get acquainted with the newcomers on this revamped roster, The Inquirer reached out to reporters who covered those players on their previous teams.

    First up is The Athletic’s James Edwards III, who covered reserve center Ariel Hukporti during his first two NBA seasons with the New York Knicks.

    Gina Mizell: Hukporti obviously did not get much playing time during his first two NBA seasons behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson. So how would you describe his game, and where did he most develop (or not develop) behind the scenes?

    James Edwards III: Hukporti is your typical “traditional” center. He runs the floor hard. He goes after loose balls. He attempts to be active defensively. I think he’s improved as a screener from Year 1 to Year 2. It’s really nerdy stuff, but a good screener does positively impact offenses.

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    He isn’t unskilled, but his skills haven’t revealed themselves on the court. He doesn’t really do anything off the dribble. He isn’t a great finesse finisher right now. And while he doesn’t shoot threes, I’ve watched him shoot threes behind the scenes and the shot doesn’t look bad. I could see him trying to add the three-ball to his game with more opportunities and reps.

    GM: Were you surprised Hukporti left the Knicks in free agency? Or did you think there was a chance he would stay given Robinson’s departure?

    JE: I was surprised because I didn’t think other teams would have interest, let alone give him more than the minimum. He didn’t play many significant minutes for New York. He’s going into his third NBA season, but he’s 24. He’s had a couple knee injuries over the last few seasons. I wouldn’t have been surprised if the Knicks wanted to keep him around as the third center, but, yeah, I was surprised he got the deal he did from another team.

    GM: Simply put, is Hukporti ready to be a backup center — and a spot starter when Joel Embiid is injured or resting? He will be competing with Adem Bona for that job.

    JE: To be honest, I don’t think so, not for where the Sixers want to go. If a rebuilding team or a team without championship aspirations this season wanted to see him in that role, that would make more sense.

    Ariel Hukporti (55) will compete for the backup center spot behind Joel Embiid. John McDonnell / AP

    Philadelphia giving him 10-plus minutes a night … I just haven’t seen enough from him to believe that he can immediately be a reliable backup option every single night. I’m not saying that he can’t do it, but I haven’t really seen anything to suggest that he can right now. I’m rooting for him because he’s a good guy and works hard. I hope I’m wrong.

    GM: Despite the sparse playing time, what do you think Hukporti most gained/learned (on or off the floor) from being immersed in the Knicks’ championship run?

    JE: He got to be around great players and [learned] what makes them tick, how they work. He learned about standards. Hukporti played for two disciplined coaches in Tom Thibodeau and Mike Brown, both of whom had high standards.

    I also think it helps that all Hukporti knows at the NBA level is winning, which can’t be said for many Knicks draft picks between the late 1970s and today. At the very least, he’s been around a positive program and understands the inner workings of winning.

    GM: How would you describe Hukporti as a teammate and locker-room presence?

    JE: Great guy. His teammates — both veterans and youngsters — loved him, and so did his coaches. He’s not afraid to show his personality, and that was in New York where the franchise pushes players not to show their personalities. Funny guy, too. I never had a bad interaction with Hukporti and I don’t know anyone who did.

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