Joel Embiid breaks silence on LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, and fans should be in love with all of it

The entire basketball world has had something to say about LeBron James choosing the Sixers, and the one guy who stayed quiet all summer was Joel Embiid. This is a player who usually can’t help himself on social media and never ducks a mic, so the silence had people (incorrectly) talking.

Media Day on Monday was his first chance to finally address it, and Embiid gave us exactly the version of himself this city needs heading into the season.

The Most Important Thing Joel Embiid Said Wasn’t About LeBron James

Before anyone asked about the new guys, Embiid talked about his summer, and this is the part everyone should be paying attention to. He said it was the first summer in a long time where he didn’t have to worry about a lot, and that he spent it with his family getting his mind and body right. He said he’s feeling pretty good.

Confirmed: LeBron James is coming to Philadelphia to help Joel Embiid win a ring and complete the process >>

That’s massive. Embiid has spent the last couple of offseasons dealing with his knee instead of getting ready to play basketball, and the national media has spent that same stretch acting like he’s washed. He isn’t. A healthy Embiid is still a top player in this league, and every Sixers disaster the last few years traces back to him being hurt and the organization failing to build anything around him that could hold up without him. If he’s walking into camp actually healthy, the ceiling on this team is sky high.

Of Course He Recruited LeBron:

When somebody asked if he helped bring LeBron to Philadelphia, Embiid smiled and said he didn’t talk to him at all and didn’t recruit him. Nobody in that room believed it, and he wasn’t trying to make anyone believe it.

View this post on Instagram

That’s classic Joel Embiid right there.

He’s not going to stand at a podium and take credit, but there is zero chance LeBron James picks the Sixers without Embiid being a big part of the pitch. The smirk told you everything. The best player this franchise has had in two decades helped land one of the greatest players ever, and he’s going to troll everyone about it for as long as he can.

Jaylen Brown Went From Enemy to Teammate:

The more serious part of Embiid’s session was about Jaylen Brown. Embiid and Brown have been going at it for years in some brutal Sixers-Celtics series, and Embiid pointed out that Brown was one of the key reasons Boston kept winning those matchups. Now that same guy is wearing a Sixers jersey, and Embiid said he was excited about it.

He also went out of his way to show love to Paul George. Embiid said he was sad to see PG go, talked about the bond they built after George signed here, and admitted they didn’t get done what they set out to do. Their families got close too, and Embiid mentioned their sons are tight and will stay that way. That moment was real, and it proves the PG era didn’t go sideways because of anything between those two. It went sideways because the front office built a roster that couldn’t stay on the floor.

Brown Is Exactly What This Team Needed:

Joel Embiid called Brown a First Team All-NBA player, and he specifically brought up what Brown did last season with Jayson Tatum out. That wasn’t Embiid being nice to a new teammate. Brown averaged 28.7 points and carried Boston to a 56-26 record and the No. 2 seed in a season everyone labeled a gap year. The five-time All-Star and 2024 Finals MVP showed he can be the guy on a contender.

What Joel Embiid kept coming back to was Brown’s impact on both ends. He said it’s hard to find players who can do what Brown does defensively and offensively, and that Brown is going to be good for Philadelphia. He’s right. Embiid has needed a legitimate two-way wing next to him for his entire career, and it took the organization this long to finally go get one.

Now Make It Work:

Joel Embiid, LeBron James and Jaylen Brown together is the most talented core this franchise has put together in a very long time. None of that matters if it doesn’t come together on the floor, and training camp is where that starts.

"They demand excellence."

Joel Embiid tells @ChrisBHaynes it would mean “everything” to raise the Larry O’Brien trophy for the Philadelphia fans. pic.twitter.com/hVB4dekcnI

— NBA TV (@NBATV) September 28, 2026

Keep Embiid healthy, get these guys on the same page early, and the Sixers finally have a roster good enough to match what Embiid has been giving this city for a decade.

Join The Chase