Did LeBron James throw shade on Joel Embiid during Fanatics Fest?

The Philadelphia 76ers are considered one of the favorites to land LeBron James in free agency. Thursday, James may have taken a veiled shot at Sixers center Joel Embiid.

When Tyrese Haliburton asked James about his most underrated quality, he mentioned his availability, and how it allowed him to be a leader. That's in contrast with Embiid, a wildly talented player who has been the definition of unavailable during his All-Star career.

LeBron James has been remarkably injury-free

For one of the oldest players in NBA history, James has been remarkably healthy, logging 71, 70 and 60 games for his age 39-41 seasons. Even last season, after an offseason injury kept him out for the first month of the season, James played 60 of 68 games the rest of the way.

That's in contrast with Embiid, who has played only 39 percent of Philly's games in the last three seasons. That's a big reason why the Sixers have struggled, though Embiid's return helped lift Philly to a first-round upset over the Boston Celtics this year.

James' feelings about his availability may simply have been answering a question. He and Embiid seemed to play well together in the 2024 Olympics in Paris, a tournament where Embiid played through injuries to help the team to a gold medal. James said he thought his availability had often been "overlooked," but clarified, "I'm not looking for validation, just answering the question."