LeBron James didn't expect this from Joel Embiid: his reaction after the Sixers' first practice

Philadelphia 76ers has already been able to see on the court how their renewed project for the 2026-27 season is starting to work. The traditional practice game between the Blue and White teams brought together about 10,000 fans at the Xfinity Mobile Arena on Saturday and showcased LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, and the rest of the key pieces of the new roster in action.

The excitement surrounding the team forced the Sixers to move this match from the location of their G League affiliate in Delaware. Even an hour before the scheduled noon start, numerous fans were already waiting in long lines inside the venue. For James, who has only had four official practices with Philadelphia in addition to the practice game, the day served to start transferring some of the ideas worked on during camp into game situations.

“Being able to transfer what we’ve done in practice to a real game situation in front of our fans... was a great first step in the direction we want to go,” James said.

Fans also play their part

The presentation of the Blue team was handled by Matt Cord, the longtime announcer for the Sixers who had decided to retire before returning after the summer the franchise had. Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Brown, James, and finally, Embiid were announced as starters.

The last name prompted a particularly striking presentation.

“At 2.18 meters tall, hailing from Cameroon, wearing number 21, Joel 'The Processsss' Embiiddddd!” Cord announced loudly.

Embiid downplayed the order of the presentations, but he did emphasize the significance of the crowd's reactions during the event.

“It doesn’t matter who gets announced first, last, second, or third,” Embiid commented.

The center made it clear that the support from fans will be important for a team that is beginning to build a new dynamic with many key pieces together for the first time.

“We want the fans,” Embiid stated. “We want them and need them to be part of this. I mentioned it on media day: it’s already quite hard to win when a group comes together for the first time. So we will need all the help possible, whether from everyone in these facilities, from the fans, or from people outside; we have to come together. We will need all the support we can get.”

James and Embiid already show connection

The game did not feature official statistics, so the result and individual numbers took a backseat. What was truly important for the Sixers was to see how their main players began to fit together after a week of camp.

One of the most striking plays came when James found Embiid coming from behind for the center to score a front three-pointer. The Cameroonian naturally explained what one of the dynamics might be when the younger players pick up the pace.

“The guys are going to use their speed against opponents and try to score quickly; if we don’t have a clear option, I’m the one who comes from behind to support,” Embiid commented casually.

There was also connection between James and other teammates. Both Maxey and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope found the veteran to complete respective alley-oops, while Embiid showcased his physical ability by blocking VJ Edgecombe and then completing a dunk.

The center's performance was particularly significant given the physical doubts that have marked his recent seasons. When asked how he felt compared to the previous season, Embiid responded optimistically.

“Pretty good, not bad,” replied a visibly slimmer Embiid.

He then showcased his sense of humor with a line that brought a smile.

“That was probably the last dunk of my career,” Embiid said with a mischievous smile.

LeBron sees a different Embiid

James also had the opportunity to evaluate Embiid's evolution after having shared a team with him during the gold medal conquest at the Paris Olympics. Even though the Sixers player has only completed four official practices with James, the veteran believes that the center's physical condition is clearly different.

“The difference between 2024 and now is that he’s much healthier,” James said. “He hasn’t missed a practice. He has participated in practically everything we’ve done. Almost everything. At times they had to hold him out, even when he wanted to continue... So it’s going well. In fact, great.”

Embiid's participation in almost all of the team's work represents for James a difference compared to the version he knew in 2024. For the Sixers, that continuity during camp is one of the elements they were able to observe during the practice game.

The Sixers are already looking at the preseason

Philadelphia designed the match with a particularity: only three 10-minute quarters were played, and each period began with a score of 80-80. The objective was to recreate situations typical of a game’s closing stretch and provide the team with a first competitive experience within the new project.

Nick Nurse thanked the fans for their support after the match and will now give the team a rest on Sunday before starting the preseason schedule. The Sixers will play four preparation games, starting Monday against the New York Knicks.

James, for his part, hopes to take advantage of those games to continue gaining rhythm, while not forgetting that the team’s main work is still taking place during practices.

“It will be good to get on the court with some of my teammates to just get a rhythm,” James commented on the preseason schedule. “At the same time, without overdoing it, because we are putting a lot of effort into practices right now, honing what we want to do when the games [in the regular season] start, but there will be opportunities for that when we play in the preseason.”

The Blue versus White game thus left the first images of a roster that still needs time to build its automations. For James, however, the mere fact of transferring some of the things worked on during the week to the game already represents a positive start.

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