Embiid calls himself 'easy target' in wake of 'not true' LeBron report

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  Dave McMenaminOct 9, 2026, 12:32 AM ET

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  • Lakers and NBA reporter for ESPN.
  • Covered the Lakers and NBA for ESPNLosAngeles.com from 2009-14, the Cavaliers from 2014-18 for ESPN.com and the NBA for NBA.com from 2005-09.

NEW YORK -- Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid said a recent report about LeBron James getting on him about being late to practice "never happened" and caused him to wonder why he was subject to the outside scrutiny.

"It sucks, but what can you do? It's unfortunate," Embiid said after making his preseason debut in Philadelphia's 114-108 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night. "I don't know where that came from. It never happened. ... I think we just got to focus on ourselves. There's going to be a lot of outside noise to pull us apart from what we're supposed to be and what we're supposed to accomplish. So, it's important that we stay together and we keep our [head] down."

During the fourth quarter of the Sixers' 120-97 win over the New York Knicks on Monday, longtime play-by-play announcer Mike Breen detailed on the MSG Networks broadcast what he had heard about James reacting to Embiid not making it onto the practice court on time.

"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," Breen said on the broadcast.

James called the report "lies" on his Instagram account Tuesday. Breen later apologized.

"Those type of things, I can't understand," Embiid said. "One, it is not true, but then again, it's like, 'Why me?' ... I guess I'm Joel Embiid. I've been in that situation. I don't usually talk when it comes to those [rumors]. So, it feels like I'm an easy target.

"But yeah, as long as we know who we are [we will be OK] and we just got to stick together."

Embiid struggled against the Nets, scoring 8 points on 1-for-5 shooting with three rebounds, three assists and eight turnovers in 24 minutes.

"Obviously, it's the preseason, especially for me," Embiid said. "I got to do a better job of taking care of the ball. But [it was the] first game, my first few games usually every year [are like this]. So yeah, it's going to take a few games to get going and just got to do a better job."