There’s a whole lot of hype about LeBron James joining the Philadelphia 76ers in NBA free agency.
However, not everyone is convinced that The King’s fit in the City of Brotherly Love will be smooth and fruitful.
NBA Assistant Coach Casts Doubt on LeBron James, Joel Embiid Pairing
USA’s #11 Joel Embiid (L) and USA’s #06 LeBron James react from the bench in the men’s semifinal basketball match between USA and Serbia during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena in Paris on August 8, 2024. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Aris MESSINIS / AFP via Getty Images)
In an interview with Mark Media of Fadeaway World, one NBA assistant coach expressed some serious doubt about the pairing of James and Joel Embiid, citing the duo’s advanced age and injury concerns. Though the coach acknowledged the potential upside of the pairing, he seems skeptical that the duo will be able to live up to its lofty on-paper potential.
“It’s scary. It can be unstoppable. Or it can be hard to watch. They’re both slow and old,” the coach said.
“When you get tired and you drain the clock and are methodical and just isoing with brute force when you’re not young, spry and athletic, that can look awful. Everyone is just standing around. And then you end up falling down because you’re old.”
While James and Embiid can be classified as “old” in a basketball sense, the Sixers have several other young key contributors like Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe. The Sixers will likely lean on those guys to do a lot of the heavy lifting during the regular season while aiming to keep Embiid and James healthy and available for a postseason run.
A More Optimistic Outlook for the Philadelphia 76ers
GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JANUARY 5: Tyrese Maxey #0 and Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers react against the Denver Nuggets in the first half at Xfinity Mobile Arena on January 5, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Another assistant coach was more optimistic about Philadelphia’s outlook. That coach believes that the 76ers have a legitimate chance of winning it all next season thanks to the sheer talent on the team.
“They’ll be at the top. They have a real chance to win it all,” the coach said. “Before, they kind of had a chance. Now they have a real chance. On paper, their talent overrides the others.”
Teams don’t win on talent alone, though. Chemistry and health are the biggest questions facing the latest iteration of the Sixers.
“But the question is can they be connected and play at a high level collectively? . . . Can they maximize the individual talent collectively. So we don’t know,” the same assistant coach said. “We know they have a bunch of high-level talent on one team. But can they collectively bring it together? . . . Health and happiness will all be part of this.”
Opinions are obviously split when it comes to just how good the Sixers will be next season. They’re clearly stacked on paper, but how will that talent translate to the court? The answer to that question will be he biggest storyline heading into the 2026-27 NBA season.
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