2 years ago, Tyrese Maxey called out Joel Embiid over a lack of accountability. So when a new report claimed LeBron James had also taken issue with his Olympian teammate, the connection was easy to make. But this time, the story may not be what it seemed. Bron has now pushed back on the report, suggesting the latest incident was never an issue at all.
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During Monday’s preseason game against the New York Knicks, longtime broadcaster Mike Breen revealed an interesting detail from the team’s recent practices.
“They are, they’re raving about how he’s been so far. Obviously, it’s only a week of camp. But I had somebody tell me before the game that they were out ready to practice and Joel Embiid walked out on the court a couple minutes late. LeBron let him hear it,” Breen said.
LeBron James’ Instagram Story now puts that account into question. He shared the ‘ComplexSports’ post, which had the caption, “LEBRON REPORTEDLY CHECKING EMBIID FOR BEING LATE.”
“🧢!He ain’t been late so stop the lies,” wrote James.
The four-time champion did not simply ignore the report. He chose to address it himself, making it clear that his teammate had not been late during their time together. This matters because the original story quickly connected with an issue that has followed Embiid before.
During the 2024-25 season, Tyrese Maxey reportedly confronted Embiid during an hour-long team meeting after Philadelphia opened the season 2-11. Among the concerns raised was Embiid’s punctuality. Maxey reportedly told his longtime teammate that he was late “for everything” and urged him to be on time for team activities.
Maxey later confirmed that he felt compelled to speak up during the difficult stretch.
“I wanted to speak up,” Maxey said. “I felt the need to do that because I wanted to share that we are better than what we have shown on the floor. There was a lot said, but it is what it is. We said what we had to say and we have to figure out a way to move on to the rest of the season. Everyone understands what’s at stake. Everyone is feeling the hurt.”
Now, Breen’s report once again raised questions about Joel Embiid’s accountability. But LeBron James’ response tells a different story.
The 22-time All-Star recently praised the 32-year-old center’s health and availability. And even raved about his condition now and compared it with their time together on Team USA in 2024.
“The difference between ’24 and now, he’s just so much more healthy. He hasn’t missed a practice. He’s been in damn near everything that we’ve done. Pretty much. They’ve had to sit him out at times, even when he wanted to keep going. So it’s been good. Actually, great,” James said.
Those comments came before the late-practice report surfaced. Now, LeBron James has gone a step further by publicly defending Embiid’s punctuality.