Joel Embiid has dismissed an on-air claim that LeBron James confronted him for arriving late to practice, insisting the episode never took place after his Philadelphia 76ers lost 114-108 to the Brooklyn Nets. Speaking to reporters, the centre said he did not understand where the story came from and suggested he had become an easy target for rumours. "I imagine it is because I am Joel Embiid. I have already found myself in this situation. Usually, I do not speak about this type of rumour, so I probably look like an easy target," he said.
The controversy began during the fourth quarter of the Sixers' win over the New York Knicks, when commentator Mike Breen relayed an anecdote that one of his sources had shared before the game. According to Breen, players were ready to practise when Embiid arrived late and was rebuked by James. LeBron James later posted a denial on Instagram, writing: "He wasn't late, so stop lying." Breen subsequently apologised for spreading the inaccurate information.
With the arrival of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown alongside Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers are one of the most closely watched teams in the league. Embiid stressed the need to stay focused. "There will be a lot of outside noise to try to take us away from what we have to be and what we want to accomplish. It is therefore important to stay united and keep our heads down. As long as we know who we are, everything will be fine," he said.
The Brooklyn game marked Embiid's first preseason appearance. In 24 minutes he finished with 8 points on 1-of-5 shooting, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 8 turnovers. He acknowledged he needed to take better care of the ball but said slow starts were familiar territory for him.
