CAMDEN, N.J. -- Almost everybody has given their thoughts on the Philadelphia 76ers adding future Hall of Famer LeBron James, but there is one player who has yet to give his and that is resident star big man Joel Embiid.
Normally very active on social media and always one to speak his mind, Embiid did not give much of a reaction to the Sixers adding James. With Philadelphia convening for media day on Monday, now was the time for the big fella to step to the mic and speak on the addition of James and what he brings to the group.
As Embiid took the podium on Monday, he discussed his summer and gave his usual tongue-in-cheek trolling when asked if he recruited James at all to the Sixers.
"Summer was good," Embiid smiled. "Had a great time with family.
First summer I didn't have to do worry about a lot of stuff so it was just getting my mind right, my body right, I'm feeling pretty good. As far as Bron, I didn't talk to him at all. I didn't recruit (as he was smiling)."
Obviously, Embiid had something to do with James choosing to join the Sixers in free agency. He'll never admit it. That's not Embiid's style, but he definitely did some recruiting to get the future Hall of Famer to join this team in free agency.
As for Jaylen Brown, he's another new addition that Embiid has had plenty of battles against throughout his years in the league. Embiid broke down what the 5-time All-Star and 2024 finals MVP can bring to Philadelphia, while also sending love to Paul George for what he's done.
"Obviously, I've had lots of battles against Boston," Embiid started. "Obviously, Jaylen was, you know, one of the key pieces of those games. So, having played against him, I was excited. You know, I was sad to see PG go. Obviously, we built the relationship. I was happy when we came here. Obviously, we couldn't accomplish what we set out to do. So, that was my initial reaction, and then obviously we got our families. Our kids are pretty close. So I was sad for my son, his son, but they're still gonna be with each other which is a nice thing."
Brown is coming off a phenomenal season in which he averaged 28.7 points and led the Celtics to a 56-26 record and the No. 2 seed in the East in what was supposed to be a "gap year" with the Jayson Tatum injury. As the Sixers move forward, they will need Brown to continue his strong play to get them over the hump in the East.
"As far as Jaylen, I was excited because you’re getting a guy, First Team All-NBA," Embiid finished. "The job he did all these years, especially last year when JT was hurt was huge. Obviously, we played against them, came back down 3-1, but what he brings on the defensive end, offensive end, it’s hard to find that in the league. So, to be able to add that and then combining that with everything else he does on and off the court, I think he's gonna be good for the city of Philadelphia."
Training camp will be an important time for the Sixers to get everybody on the same page and get them moving in the right direction. Embiid, James, Brown, and the rest of the Sixers will need every practice day they can get to build that cohesion.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Joel Embiid addresses Sixers adding stars LeBron James, Jaylen Brown
