Joel Embiid has made winning the central focus of his career, as the Philadelphia 76ers build around the arrival of LeBron James this summer. James signed a two-year minimum contract with a player option for the second season, joining Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown on a revamped roster.
"To have him say that it kind of validates not so much what I've accomplished but the way my peers might think about me," Embiid said of James' comments. "I'm at the point of my career where I need to win." James said he came to Philadelphia to help Embiid win his first NBA championship.
Embiid connected the pursuit of a title to Philadelphia itself. "Between everything that's happened, that would be a good ending for the city of Philadelphia," he said. "And they deserve it."
The 76ers are coming off a 45-37 season that ended with a sweep against the New York Knicks in the conference semifinals. Philadelphia then acquired Brown from the Boston Celtics and signed James, Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Embiid acknowledged that integrating the new group will take time. "The biggest hurdle that we have is how quick can we all get together," he said. He enters his 11th NBA season after averaging 26.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 38 games during the 2025-26 campaign, with seven All-Star selections and the 2022-23 MVP award across his career.
