Happy Media Day!
Sixers fans have gotten their first look at LeBron James in a Sixers uniform and heard him address the Philadelphia media for the first time. In case anyone missed it live, here is every answer from James’ presser in Camden fully transcribed.
What are important first steps to acclimate?
“I would say the things that I’ve learned is everybody’s kind of on the same page of the direction that the organization wants be in, the players want to be in, the coaching staff wants to be in. We all want to put the work in. That’s most important.
These guys can go around talking and saying these things to happen, but nothing can happen unless you actually put the work in. So we are all speaking the same language. Everyone is highly motivated. But it’s going to start, obviously, every single day, just getting one percent better every single day, starting tomorrow. So everyone’s excited to be here, and that’s exciting to be a part of.”
When Shaquille O’Neal came to Cleveland, he came with the goal of helping you win a championship. How does it feel to now be in Shaq’s shoes with this team?
“I have a lot of experience in this game, obviously. So I hope that I can bring that experience, bring that knowledge, bring the blueprint to guys that’s trying to accomplish some things they haven’t gotten in their career. I’ve seen everything that this game has to offer, on the floor and off the floor. I hope that every single day with my approach to the game, approach to the work, that it can translate to every single guy, and even guys that’s been able to win at the highest level, so I look forward to that challenge.”
Are looking at this as the final stop and contract of your career?
“Honestly, I’m just looking at every single day on how I can be the best version of myself for this franchise while I’m here. I can’t, I don’t want to speak into the future right now, that would be doing a disservice to myself, and on just living in the moment, especially knowing that I am where I am in my career. So, me trying to focus on what the future looks like would be like, I wouldn’t be giving myself grace. I’m more in the present now, I understand it. Shit, I’m in year 24. It won’t be another year 24, you know what I’m saying? So just like being in the moment and we’ll see what happens.”
What does it take to keep the team together during rough stretches?
“Yeah, just never get too high or never get too low. You got to try to stay even keeled, understand that the noise is gonna be noise, what happens outside of this building is gonna consistently happen, and it’s going to be doubled and triple and quadrupled now that I’m here. And it just comes with the territory, I understand it. So the work that we put in in this building, the work that we put in when we’re on the road, watching film, the work that we put in, will take care of itself. … Guys will hold each other accountable. We put the work in, we have honest conversations, things of that nature. So, you know, just staying even keeled and everything that’s going on out there does not matter. It does not matter at all, it’s about the results and the things that happen in this building for us. And if we do that, we’re a really talented team, but the talent will only get you so far. But if you put the work in, and you continue to be better and better every day, and you have this championship approach every day to get one percent better, and then it definitely will work in our favor.”
What do you envision your role being on a day-to-day basis?
“Whatever the team needs for me to do. I think the luxury of my game is I can do everything. Literally, I can do everything.”
Are there parts of the playing process that you won’t miss when your career is over?
“Will there be things that I won’t enjoy about the process when I’m done? No. I think the process for me is just something I’ve always enjoyed. I think there’s things that’s along the way that entails of being a professional athlete that I will be happy to step away from when that time comes. But the actual process of putting in the work, that’s something I will never get tired of. That’s just who I am, that’s just part of my DNA. There’s things that does come with being a professional athlete — being away from your family a lot, being away from your kids a lot, sacrificing for a lot of time where you could be with loved ones and things of that nature. Missing a lot of things that your kids got going on. My middle son right now is starting a sophomore campaign in Tuscon, Arizona. My daughter just started middle school. My older son, my former teammate, is starting his third year in Los Angeles. And my wife is doing so many unbelievable things right now, her own personal journey. So those were the things that being where I am in the process, those things are intertwined, and I’ll be like, yeah, I don’t miss that. But as far as the time and work ethic and the things that I put in, as far as the process, I would never, ever be like, ‘Oh, I’m glad that that’s over now.‘ That’s a part of my DNA.”
What did you like about Joel as a teammate during your time on Team USA? What are you two talking about?
“Oh, well, I mean I got to get here first. I’m just now, not even one day, here just being in a facility. So I am just looking forward to just, obviously, seeing what his process is here as well. Jo is one of the most talented guys that we have in the world. And obviously we all know that for him, it’s dependent on health. And how can he stay healthy to be the best version of himself, to be the best version of us as a team. And I’ve seen he’s put in a lot of work on his body, a lot of work on his game, a lot of work on his mentals this offseason. That is a big upside, not only for us as his teammates, but I guarantee it was for him. I don’t want to speak for him, you guys will talk to him. So me as the elder statesmen of the team, the guy that’s been through a lot, hopefully I can just give him resources and give him whatever he needs on a day-to-day basis, to make them feel even more and more comfortable about where he is, about where we are, as a team, both on the floor and off the floor. So I’m definitely in his corner and I can’t wait to be on the court with him like we was in ‘24 in the Olympics.”
You’ve been to a lot of cities, what about this stop is different? What’s it been like settling in?
“I’m still settling in. It’s still fresh for me, I’m learning new streets, I’m learning new people. It’s been 8 years since I’ve been on this side of the country. So, just getting back to the weather, things of that nature. But I’m super excited, just being here, I’m super excited to get in front of these fans. They know sports, they know ball. And if you’re not doing what you’re supposed to do they gonna let you hear it and I’m excited about that. And that’s holding people accountable. This is a sports town. I believe this is the only sports town where all the teams are in the same parking lot basically, like all of them. I’m excited to just be a part of this, be a part of the feeling, be a part of the vibe, and to go out and play for something that’s, more than me like myself, more than the players in the locker room, but for the whole city.”
Was there a specific moment you knew you wanted to come here?
“I mean, I had a list of five teams. I think, if you saw my agent and his podcast you saw his whiteboard and whatever, I love him to death, but he had his whiteboard up there and he had all these LeBron teams up there. So I had a group of teams that I was interested in. And I have a really, really good, I’ll say great relationship with Tyrese, and we talked a lot. I kind of picked his brain a lot. Not only where you see his career going, how he sees the franchise here, how much he believes in the franchise, and if I was to come here, how does he see me fitting in? Do you think it would be a plus or do you think it would be a negative? Because I understand what my personality and what comes with me. Sometimes it can be a negative, you know, I understand. Some people maybe can’t handle what I may bring to the table, and I was just asking all the questions that I could ask to him, and it wasn’t just one conversation. But I think our relationship, when I broke a lot of the teams down, I broke a lot of the franchises down, I could possibly play for, he was one of the main deciding characters.”
How can you help VJ Edgecombe as his role is expected to change?
“I’ve been hearing like things are going to change for him, I don’t understand why things would change for him. I think with his dynamic, him being able to get out in transition and attack defenses before the defense is set. His ability in the halfcourt situation where we’re able to attract multiple eyes and he’s able to catch it on catch-and-go or an off-balance defense. I don’t think his role should change. I think with the group of guys, no one mentioned that everybody’s role will probably be different. And that’s for the greater good, if we want to accomplish something that’s really, really important. Like if we say that we want to be something special, there will be a collective sacrificing in a good way. Sometimes in sports, people hear sacrificing … people start thinking negatively about it. It’s not a negative thing. You sacrifice one or two more shots that gives you one or two more bursts of energy in the fourth quarter to slide over and take a charge, or give one or two more bursts of energy to grab the offensive rebound for an extra possession to kick out for a teammate or an extra burst of energy to run back on defense and get a chase down block. Somethings that don’t show up in the boxscores. So it’s not a negative when people say, OK, you have to make a sacrifice or your role may change. If we’re trying to do something special, which I believe we are, then that’s a positive. So many guys that’s been in our league over the course of my career that’s never made a sacrifice in their career and they average 20, 22 points per game and they’ve had one or two postseason appearances and zero postseason wins. If that’s the way you want to your career to be then, that’s fine, everyone has different goals. But I don’t think anybody downstairs or I don’t think anybody in the locker room, have that feeling, or want their career to be like that, or we wouldn’t be here.”
What has your experience been like playing in Philadelphia as a visitor over the years?
“It’s been both. It’s been like, ‘OK, we respect the way you play the game because we know the game, and we know the history of the game and we’ve seen so many players play the game. But we hate you. You’re not with us, we hate you.’ … And I love that. Actually, I really love it. I really thrive under that circumstance. But yeah, it’s always been mutual respect, it’s always been mutual respect with myself and the Philly fans. And we’re going to be on the same side now, guys. I need a little hate, so I hope we can just get some people that’s not real Philly fans and we just put them in the crowd so I can get that tension, but it’s been great. Like I said I’ve been doing this for 23 years now and I actually came here in high school as well and played at the Palestra my senior year, and it was that same type of atmosphere. So I’m happy to be on this side though.”
What will it take to expedite the process of building team chemistry?
“Yeah, I think the best way to expedite is obviously the floor, the practice court, that helps. The film sessions help, the bus rides, the plane rides, the camaraderie, like those things help. It’s going to take time. It’s gonna take time. I think people, sometimes they don’t really want to work. Everyone wants instant oatmeal, you just put the oatmeal in the bowl, put the water in it, throw in the microwave, in a minute and a half, you got something to eat, you’re ready to go. If you want to do something special, it takes time and it takes every single day doing things that you may not want to do because it’s like the same thing over, and over, and over, and over, and over, repetition after repetition after repetition. In order for us to be great, we have to do things that are just not comfortable. We have to be comfortable being uncomfortable. That is the best way to expedite being great. You have to fall in love with doing things that’s uncomfortable. And if we can do that, we can be a great team. If we don’t do that, then we’ll be like, ‘oh, man, that was a great team on paper and we got a lot of great talent, and we lost in the second round.’ I don’t want to do that. I didn’t leave my family to lose in the second round, I know that, for sure. Work needs to be done and I’m ready to put the work in.”
