3 Quotes From LeBron James’ Podcast That Could Define Sixers’ 2026-27 Season

Sixty-two days after signing with the Sixers, LeBron James broke his silence—and it did not disappoint.

James and Steve Nash launched the fourth season of their podcast, “Mind the Game,” on Friday morning. The 41-year-old discussed several topics, mainly his decision to join Philadelphia and his early impressions of his new teammates. It was an appetizer for the Sixers’ media day, which will occur on September 29.

Here are three quotes that stood out to me:

James wants to play with Joel Embiid

A few factors swayed James to the City of Brotherly Love, and Embiid was one of them.

“[Embiid has] done everything in our league and the only thing he has not done and that’s win a championship,” James said. “And I want to try to help him get that first one. He’s been the MVP of our league, has a gold medal, All-Stars, signature shoes, bunch of money, beautiful family; he has everything. He has the city on his back. It’s been the process, for what, 10 years, 12 years, or however long he’s been there. But I think it’s time now that we even dig even deeper into the process.”

LeBron James says one of the biggest reasons he chose Philly was to help Joel Embiid win his first ring:

“He’s done everything in our league and the only thing he has not done and that’s win a championship. And I want to try to help him get that first one. He’s been the MVP of… pic.twitter.com/iDkgvlkxcR
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) September 25, 2026

Some fans theorized Embiid’s injury history would discourage James from picking the Sixers, which had some validity if you glanced at his Basketball Reference page. The last time Embiid appeared in at least 65 games was the 2022-23 season, the year he won Most Valuable Player. So the fact that James decided on Philadelphia is a positive indication of where Embiid is at health-wise; he played 19 more games last season than the year prior.

This also put a pause on the theory that Philadelphia would swap Embiid with Anthony Davis from the Washington Wizards. James and Davis played together for the Los Angeles Lakers from 2019 to 2025, during which they won a championship in 2019-20.

James appreciates Jaylen Brown the human

Brown strayed from the beaten path of what it means to be a professional basketball player off the court and James loves it.

“I love the way [Brown] approaches the game too,” James said. “What he brings to the game, his insight on the game. I’ve watched him, kind of misunderstood, and that is absolutely okay.”

James’ understanding of Brown as a person is just as important as them playing together. When teams of Philadelphia’s star power and expectations formed in recent years, chemistry, or lack thereof, has been the factor in their demise.

An argument with Kevin Durant and Draymond Green eventually led to Durant leaving the Golden State Warriors, with whom he won two titles, for the Brooklyn Nets in 2019. Then, when Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden joined forces in Brooklyn, Harden grew tired of the team’s off-court drama and wanted a trade to Philadelphia.

Needless to say, the Sixers understanding each other and developing bonds will be key in navigating this year and beyond.

James wants to play fast

It’s no secret that Philadelphia has the makings of an elite transition team and James knows it.

"If we can get stops or create turnovers, then it's going to benefit VJ and Tyrese more than anyone on the team,” James said. “Those guys are so fast and athletic. You're not going to be able to catch up to them.”

Lebron James speaks on Jaylen Brown:

“I love the way he approaches the game too. What he brings to the game, his insight on the game. I’ve watched him, kind of misunderstood, and that is absolutely okay.” pic.twitter.com/RYqVbVwUOk
— J🐐 (@SixersJustin) September 25, 2026

The Sixers forced the ninth-most turnovers in the NBA last season, with 15.4 per game, being a defense that emphasizes jumping passing lanes and helping on drives. Yet Philadelphia scored a modest 24.7 points per game in transition, 13th-best league-wide, partly because it lacked someone who could consistently capitalize on those advantages.

That won’t be a problem anymore with James. Given his ability to push tempo, the Sixers are in position to leverage forcing turnovers with a devastating fast-break approach. This will help Philadelphia forge an identity amongst a team with so many moving parts.

Every day we get closer to seeing it coming together.

Sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on X and Bluesky for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google