September 28, 2026
Colleen Claggett/for PhillyVoice
LeBron James kicked off the most important Media Day in Sixers history.
CAMDEN, N.J. – Two months and four days after he made the decision that shocked the basketball world, LeBron James finally fielded questions from reporters on Monday at Sixers Media Day.
For months, as James' departure from the Los Angeles Lakers became increasingly likely, speculation mounted about his next – and presumably, final – stop. The favorites were James' hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and his signature rivals, the Golden State Warriors. James returning to the Miami Heat became a popular prediction as his free agency rolled on. Then came one of the most shocking decisions in the history of the NBA. It led to Monday's scene, still unbelievable: the NBA's all-time leading scorer, sitting at a podium in Camden, wearing a Sixers uniform.
What opened the door to James' decision, agent Rich Paul indicated over the summer, was the team's blockbuster addition of five-time All-Star Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics. When Sixers President of Basketball Operations Mike Gansey sent out Paul George and four draft picks to land Brown, he could not have known what would happen next.
Ultimately, though, James' strongest connection in Philadelphia was to a player he has known for several years. Maxey is also represented by Paul and Klutch Sports, which helped him form a relationship with James as he prepared to enter the NBA in 2020. James, year after year, has raved about Maxey's skills and personality after matchups against the Sixers. Those reviews will become even more positive and frequent now.
"I had a list of five teams that I was interested in," James said. "...I have a really, really good – I don't want to say good – great relationship with Tyrese [Maxey]. And we talked about a lot. I picked his brain a lot. Not only where he sees his career going, how he sees the franchise here, how much he believes in the franchise, and if I was to come here, how does he see me fitting in? Do we think it'd be a plus or do we think it'd be a negative? Because I understand my personality and what comes with me, sometimes it could be a negative... It wasn't just one conversation. But I think our relationship, when I broke a lot of the teams down, when I broke a lot of the franchises down that I could possibly play for, he was one of the main deciding factors."
MORE: Inside the day a rookie Maxey began his evolution into the Sixers' leader
Maxey is arguably the player set to benefit the most from James' arrival in Philadelphia. His role will certainly be changing the most. After commenting at the end of last season that he hoped to be weaponized as an off-ball scoring threat more often, Maxey now gets to play alongside one of the most cerebral table-setters in the history of the NBA.
“The luxury of my game is that I can do everything... Literally I can do everything.”
— NBA (@NBA) September 28, 2026
At Sixers Media Day, LeBron reminds everyone about his versatility ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season 😆 pic.twitter.com/13FLzXOUBl
"I think I'm pretty comfortable playing in any type of situation at this point in my career. I've played in so many different – under so many different circumstances. Our roster this year really creates the ability for myself to get out in transition a little bit more," Maxey said. "It creates the ability for – I don't always have to come back and bring the ball up. You know, we got Bron, JB, [Joel Embiid] can bring it up, VJ [Edgecombe] can, Anfernee [Simons], LaBaron [Philon Jr.] – I mean, the list goes on and on of guys who can bring the ball up. So I think that is the opportunity that this roster presents: for me to play off the ball a little bit more, more catch-and-shoot. I'll still play on the ball, of course, playing ball screens and in different actions like that. But for me to be able to play off the ball, get some catch-and-shoots, come off some screens, come off some handoffs, get out in transition, I think it’ll be good for our team."
James' decision gave the Sixers a starting five which, on paper, has a comical amount of talent. When the Sixers are whole, they will have James and Brown as their forwards, Maxey and VJ Edgecombe as their guards and Joel Embiid manning the middle. Embiid predictably remains the enigmatic figure here; it may never be clear going into any season what version of the former NBA MVP the Sixers will be getting.
Even after providing him with a much more talented supporting cast than he has ever benefitted from before, the Sixers probably need a healthy and dominant version of Embiid to win a championship. Not only does James bring as much championship experience as any player in the league could (and Brown is the 2024 NBA Finals MVP in his own right), but the 41-year-old will serve as a true offensive engine, capable of lightening Embiid's workload to ensure the Sixers are capable of managing him with the bigger picture in mind.
"Joel is one of the most talented guys that we have in the world, and obviously we all know that for him it's just been about health. How can he stay healthy to be the version of himself to [make us] the best version of us as a team. And I've seen him put in a lot of work on his body, a lot of work on his game, a lot of work on his mental this offseason. So that is a big upside, not only for us as his teammates, but I guarantee it is for him."
MORE: Does Joel Embiid need to change his game to win a ring?
On paper, the Sixers' work is done. They have assembled one of the most decorated starting lineups ever. But they know that in what should be an extremely competitive Eastern Conference – and with two juggernauts in the Western Conference – the work has actually not even started. Several players echoed the need to get "one percent better every day," uttering Maxey's signature phrase. And these Sixers, with a difficult opening slate of games, should not be expected to walk into easy October and November wins. Everybody involved understands – especially James. This will not be his first rodeo joining a new-look team with many mouths to feed. Each time he has changed teams via free agency, there have been significant bumps early.
LeBron is already familiar with Philly fans 🤣 pic.twitter.com/rFQgGI4dkt
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) September 28, 2026
At the end of the day, James would not have entrusted the Sixers with the final stop of his historic career had he not seen a pathway to accomplishing something special. And after a volatile few years which turned them into the laughing stock of a city, the arrival of James has made the Sixers appointment viewing, locally and nationally. But if there is anyone excited about where all of this could be headed, it is the man himself.
"I didn't leave my family to lose in the second round," James said. "I know that for sure. So the work needs to be done, and I'm ready to put the work in."
MORE: How should Nick Nurse stagger his stars?
