LeBron denies reprimanding Embiid over alleged lateness

“That’s a lie”: LeBron James responded to rumours that he had reprimanded Joel Embiid for arriving late to a 76ers practice. In a post on Instagram, the former Lakers player was emphatic: “He wasn’t late, so stop the lies.”

The rumour had been relayed by Mike Breen during a preseason game between the Sixers and the Knicks. The analyst reported that LeBron had sharply rebuked Embiid at a recent practice after he arrived late. Another account described Embiid coming onto the court a couple of minutes behind schedule, prompting LeBron to give him a stern telling-off. LeBron disputes that version.

On his “Mind the Game” podcast, he also said: “What matters is what we preach every day and how we hold each other accountable.”

Embiid’s punctuality had already drawn criticism in 2024, when Tyrese Maxey called him out for being late “to everything” and challenged him to be punctual. LeBron James and Joel Embiid are entering their first season with the Sixers, who have high ambitions alongside Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.