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LeBron James denies rumor about Joel Embiid: 'Stop the lies'
Philadelphia 76ers LeBron James. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

76ers star LeBron James denies rumor about Joel Embiid: 'Stop the lies'

Media controversy seems to follow forward LeBron James wherever he goes, and things are no different now that he is with the Philadelphia 76ers. They faced off against the New York Knicks in their preseason opener, where commentator Mike Breen told a story he’d heard about James chewing out 76ers center Joel Embiid for being late to a team practice.

The former MVP has been the subject of criticism for years due to his conditioning and practice habits, so the story didn’t seem far-fetched.

Back in the 2024-25 season, Embiid was called out by guard Tyrese Maxey for showing up late to team meetings and practices. However, James took to his Instagram story on Tuesday night to set the record straight.

LeBron James sets the record straight on Joel Embiid’s supposed lateness

He used a cap emoji, which signifies a lie, before saying, “He [hasn’t] been late so stop the lies,” said James.

The story had been circulating since Breen made the comments Monday night, but he’ll need to check his sources now that James denied the narrative. The 22-time All-Star had previously spoke about how good Embiid has looked and how Philadelphia’s franchise centerpiece had been part of almost everything in practice.

The chemistry seems to be building on the 76ers roster, with forward Jaylen Brown telling reporters that second-year guard VJ Edgecombe is one of his favorite people in the world. This story about James and Embiid would have been one of the only negative things that came out about the team, but now we know it never happened.

Philadelphia will practice quite a few more times before the season starts in two weeks, and they have three more preseason games to familiarize themselves with each other. With a win against the Knicks on Monday night, everything seems to be going well in the city both on and off the court.

Paul White

Paul White is a contract writer from Philadelphia who attended Penn State University. He has contributed hundreds of stories about the NFL and NBA over the years and now brings that experience over to Yardbarker. He is a lifelong Philadelphia sports fan looking to bring the same passion from his city to sports media. 

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