Joel Embiid made an interesting suggestion about LeBron James – and it worked

Joel Embiid created an interesting suggestion concerning LeBron James – and it worked.

Key points

• USA TODAY Sports' NBA experts ranked the top 100 NBA players for the 2026-27 season and put LeBron james just inside the top 209.
• Towns, in the third quarter, took just one field goal attempt and scored only four points; the Knicks shot 5-of-21 (23.8%) in the period.
• 19 best player in NBA heading into the 2026-27 season.
• There were plenty of reasons why the 76ers won their regular season opener Tuesday, Oct.
• The Philadelphia 76ers locker room had all but cleared out, and Embiid was the last player fielding questions from an atypically sizeable horde of reporters.

LeBron James ranked as No. 19 best player in NBA heading into the 2026-27 season.

NEW YORK – Late in the night, there was a moment of honesty – vulnerability? – from Joel Embiid.

In practice, the Philadelphia 76ers locker room had all but cleared out, and Embiid was the last player fielding questions from an atypically sizeable horde of reporters. With a 106-100 victory, the Sixers had just wrecked the coronation of the New York Knicks. This person raised a banner here in Madison Square Garden for the first time in 53 years and who, prior to tipoff, had wedged championship rings the size of golf balls onto their fingers.

There were plenty of reasons why the 76ers won their regular season opener Tuesday, Oct. 20. But it was a small, in-game proposal from Embiid that proves the experiment that is the 76ers might just work.

Late in the second quarter, Embiid had picked up his third foul, with all three coming during a four-minute span late in the period. So, at some point over halftime, Embiid informed the 76ers coaches that it should be the newly-acquired LeBron James to guard Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns, a six-time All-Star.

This would free up Embiid to play unencumbered. And it demonstrates how dangerous this team can be.

"It changes everything, " Embiid remarked after the game. "I had three fouls. I suggested that to the guys, the coaching staff, cause I just felt like the way that they were coming, I wasn't – I was just being honest – I wasn't going to be as aggressive as I should be on defense having three fouls. I wanted to stay on the floor." LeBron James was superb in his role.

LeBron applied his size and strength – James actually outweighs Towns by two pounds – to body Towns and jam up the timing and rhythm of New York's pick-and-rolls. The move offered the 76ers tremendous defensive versatility and stifled the Knicks' ability to scoop up offensive rebounds. It allowed Philadelphia's transition offense to flourish.

This is not unfamiliar for James. This person can play every position on the floor. When James guarded Serbian all-world center and three-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokić, it's additionally a tactic Team USA employed during the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Embiid was additionally a player on that gold medal squad, and it was Embiid's foul trouble in the fourth quarter that prompted coach Steve Kerr to deploy the strategy.

"It was great, " Embiid continued. "Another major body to guard the post. (Former 76er) P.J. Tucker was the last one we had where we could do that, that could switch off and guard those bigger guys in the post. Last year we had (Paul George), but you know PG, he did a great job, but he's a little lighter. Having 'Bron do that in the Olympics. We've done that previously. That's a good place to change (things) a little bit." Vibes high in revamped 76ers' first impression.

No team had a bigger offseason than Philadelphia. It additionally landed Jaylen Brown in a blockbuster agreement with the Celtics. And the first impression of the revamped Sixers was mostly positive; the shot distribution was balanced, defensive intensity ramped up when it mattered most and the team committed just 10 turnovers. It had been an matter during the preseason.

But it was James who – as he has throughout his career – did a little bit of everything. He finished with 14 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, one steal and one block. He handled the ball and zipped passes to his teammates. He sprinted out in transition and obtained to the line. And he was instrumental in helping the 76ers retain their small lead throughout the fourth quarter.

It's still so particularly early, and the 76ers didn't play explicitly well; they hit just 27.5% of their 3-pointers and were outrebounded on the offensive glass by a margin of 14-6.

"I mean, it's still going to take some time, " James admitted. "It's just one game, but obviously we can learn from the good things that we did, we can learn from the bad things we did tonight."

Though it was but one game, the vibes are high. And as far as first impressions go, these 76ers proved they should have lasting power in a loaded Eastern Conference.

It's their versatility and adaptability that can create them a legitimate title contender. Share your feedback to support improve our site!

Taken together, the developments around joel Embiid made an interesting suggestion about LeBron James point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.