September 28, 2026
Colleen Claggett/for PhillyVoice
Joel Embiid came to 2026 Sixers Media Day in a joking mood.
CAMDEN, N.J. – No Sixers Media Day will ever feature as many fireworks – or reporters – as the 2026 installment of the day that kicks off the season.
LeBron James made his first trip to Philadelphia as a member of the Sixers, and 15 of his new teammates fielded questions about the NBA's all-time leading scorer, fellow blockbuster acquisition Jaylen Brown, and the difficult blending of individual goals and team-wide championship aspirations.
The common themes were predictable: sacrifice, hard work, improving on a daily basis. Nothing will be handed to these Sixers. They understand that and made it clear. But they know, with the sheer amount of talent on paper, they have an opportunity to do something special. Will the 2026-27 Philadelphia 76ers be remembered forever?
In the first Sixers soundbites of the new season, one noteworthy quote from each and every Media Day speaker:
• LeBron James on what his role will be on the court for this team:
"Whatever the team needs me to do. I think the luxury of my game is I can do everything. Literally everything."
MORE: LeBron explains decision to join Sixers at Media Day
• Joel Embiid on how he thinks the Sixers will successfully integrate new co-stars after not winning championships trying to incorporate former ones like Jimmy Butler and James Harden:
"I wouldn't say it didn't work out. Obviously we didn't win, but I think to be able to win – it's hard to win when you get a group of guys together for one year, two years maybe. That's why I'm extremely excited about this team: because we’ve got the right mix of veteran leadership and younger guys and everybody being on the same page. So I feel like we might have some ups and downs, but we're going to get there. Previously, I think it was more. Look at the teams that have won lately: Denver, Boston, even OKC, the Knicks, they went through a couple years figuring it out and they finally got there and they were able to do it. So it's harder – it's hard to win. Jimmy, we had him for half a year. That’s tough to do. Maybe some things could have happened or whatever to keep building on that. But again James, we had him for really a year and a half. Ben [Simmons] was here for a lot of years and then a lot of things happened in between. So, yeah, I think it's hard to win. I haven't done it. Feel like I know what it takes. But it is hard to win, man. You need that consistency. You need to get guys on the same page. But I feel like this year we have that and, yeah, I think we’re going to get there."
• Jaylen Brown on if the Sixers know who their "alpha" is, and whether that is something that matters:
"Next question."
• Tyrese Maxey on his relationship with Brown:
"It's just crazy. Division rivals. I see him, I feel like, 12 times a year, honestly... For him to be on our side, you've kind of got to reframe, reprogram your mind, to be cool with him. When we stepped in between the lines, I didn't really mess with Jaylen... I wanted to beat him every single time. Now, him being on our sides, we're welcoming him with open arms."
• VJ Edgecombe on the unexpected circumstances of this season after his standout rookie campaign:
"I'm going into year two. I'm still learning. I'm still a kid. Obviously, I don't know it all when it comes to the game of basketball. Being alongside great players every day, I get to learn. And for me, that's the biggest thing."
MORE: Best and worst possible outcomes for VJ Edgecombe in 2026-27
• Dean Wade on which positions he is most comfortable guarding:
"Bigger wings, probably. Forwards. Bigger wings and forwards are definitely where I hang my hat... Definitely more comfortable guarding bigger wings and forwards."
• Anfernee Simons on the importance of sacrifice:
"That's going to be the word of the year... There's going to be some sacrifice from everybody on the team... That's what it's going to take from everybody [to win a championship]."
• Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on the commonalities between the two championship teams he played for:
"We did similar things off the court, as far as – no matter what it is: dinners, going bowling, picked up golf when I was in Denver... When I was in LA, being able to hang around, be outside, go to the beach, doing whatever. Dinner is probably the biggest thing... We make it mandatory to show up. You've got a few hours with your teammates, then you can go do whatever you want. I think it goes a long way."
• Dominick Barlow on the impetus for putting on muscle during the summer:
"Don't like being in pain, so I decided to lift a little bit."
MORE: Barlow 'willing to play wherever,' working on shooting to help LeBron, Sixers
• Adem Bona on the state of foot, where he suffered a sprain this offseason:
"The treatment's been going well... Been out doing treatment for a couple weeks, and I'm feeling good, feeling better, and looking forward to getting into it."
• Ariel Hukporti on watching the Sixers trade for Brown and sign James after he had already agreed to join the team:
"It was exciting. When I heard about it, I was overseas, and I was quite excited about it. New talent, a lot to learn, a lot of people who have accomplished a lot of things on this team, so I'm just trying to absorb everything I can get."
• Justin Edwards on playing with James:
"It is kind of crazy, since [he entered] the league six months before I was born... I'm just excited to learn from him."• Labaron Philon Jr. on if any of his teammates have given him particularly helpful advice so far:
"I would say VJ, definitely, with him being young, in the same age around like I am, it's definitely been helping me just to reflect on the things he had to go through his rookie year and then the things I'm going through now. So it's been definitely great to be around him and talk to him on and off the court, even while we're [playing video games] talking about basketball and stuff like that. And I've been knowing him since high school, so that relationship picked back up, and it's been going great. So I would say he's one of the guys I've been trying to learn from the most right now."
MORE: Why Sixers tapped 'dynamic' Philon as newest member of young nucleus
• Jabari Walker on his offseason focuses:
"I think the focus was my body, just getting to a point where I felt comfortable with different movements. So once I got there, then I started to add more skill. But believe it or not, when you get your body right, the shot feels better, defense feels better. So I think my most important thing was to get my body to a level where I felt confident."
• Caleb Love on how he can help the Sixers win:
"Just that spark off the bench on both ends of the floor, especially on the defensive end, being a hound on defense, picking up full-court, guarding the best guards on other teams. On offense, just being a spark, scoring the ball, shooting, spacing the floor, being that outlet for LeBron and Jaylen Brown and Tyrese and all of them that handle the ball. And then all-around game as far as feel, getting those guys open, and then making the right plays."
• Rayan Rupert on his potential defensive impact for this team:
"Every time I'm going to have the opportunity to be on the floor, that's what I'm going to try to do, and it's going to be my main focus. Trying to pick up full-court, get some steals, being disruptive defensively. And offensively, I have a good feel for the game. I'm just going to run in transition, try to make my open shots and be a good teammate."
SIXERS PLAYER PREVIEWS
Joel Embiid | Labaron Philon Jr. | Dean Wade | Dominick Barlow | Adem Bona
Tyrese Maxey | VJ Edgecombe | Jaylen Brown | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Ariel Hukporti | Anfernee Simons | Jabari Walker | Justin Edwards | LeBron James
