LeBron James came to the defense of his Philadelphia 76ers teammate Joel Embiid following a report that the 41-year-old berated the center for being late to practice.
"Somebody told me before the game that they were out ready to practice and Joel Embiid walked out on the court a couple of minutes late, and LeBron let him hear it," ESPN and MSG Network play-by-play announcer Mike Breen said during Monday's preseason game between the 76ers and New York Knicks, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin
While some viewers believed Breen's anecdote pointed to the team embracing James as a leader, the future Hall of Famer dismissed the report as a complete fabrication.
"He ain't been late, so stop the lies," James wrote in an Instagram story Tuesday.
"I'm so disappointed how the story was interpreted," Breen said Wednesday. "The whole intent was praising LeBron for already having an impact on the team's professionalism and accountability, even something so benign as a player getting on the court for practice a minute or two late."
LeBron James shuts down the fake story about checking Joel Embiid for being late to practice https://t.co/C6NZQzPvDJ
— RB (@RBPhillyTake) October 6, 2026
Breen added, "I don't know why the person who told me the story would make it up, but if LeBron says it never happened, then I believe him and apologize for putting it out there."
Head coach Nick Nurse also rebutted the report and came to Embiid's defense.
"I'm just surprised that this has come up and you guys are asking about this because Joel has been excellent," Nurse said. "He's been on the practice floor. He's worked really hard and he's been playing great. So, I'm just surprised something like that has come out."
Embiid's health has been one of the Sixers' biggest questions in recent years. The 2022-23 MVP hasn't played in more than 40 games in any of the past three seasons.
Nurse said that the team has met and discussed how to handle "outside noise" given the heightened expectations with a talented roster. Building chemistry will be the 76ers' primary focus after James, Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey sat out the team's preseason opener against the Knicks.
Philadelphia will continue its preseason slate Thursday versus the Brooklyn Nets before playing the Boston Celtics on Saturday.
