LeBron James pushed back on a report during the broadcast of Monday’s preseason game between the Knicks and 76ers that said the 22-time NBA All-Star let Joel Embiid “hear it” at a recent Sixers practice after Embiid was “a couple of minutes” late.
During Monday’s broadcast on MSG Network, Mike Breen relayed a story that someone told him about an encounter between James and Embiid, where the former reportedly admonished the latter for his tardiness.
“I had somebody tell me before the game that they were out ready to practice, and Joel Embiid walked out onto the court a couple of minutes late, and LeBron let him hear it,” Breen said.
However, James denied the report in a post on his Instagram Story, sharing a graphic about the purported encounter and writing a cap emoji over it, seeming to suggest the story wasn’t true.
“He ain’t been late so stop the lies,” James wrote.
No further details were available about the alleged encounter.
James is in his first season with the 76ers after signing in the City of Brotherly Love this offseason.
Embiid and James are not strangers to playing with one another, having both been a part of Team USA at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, but the two have never played together on the same NBA team until now.
James’ mode of transportation to and from practices has also made headlines, with the four-time NBA champion taking a helicopter provided by Fanatics to and from practice to his pad in the Big Apple.
“The deal we signed with Fanatics almost three years ago includes access to their corporate aviation,” a James spokesperson told Fox News. “It’s a feature in many of their deals with their largest athletes, and we appreciate their partnership as LeBron splits his time between New York and Philadelphia.”
