Sixers show big-time talent, early chemistry building at Blue-White scrimmage originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The 2026-27 Sixers showed off their considerable collection of talent for the public on Saturday at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
The scoreboard didn’t matter at the team’s annual Blue-White scrimmage, but fans got a taste of what the star-laden Sixers have to offer. For the first time, public address announcer Matt Cord introduced LeBron James and Jaylen Brown as Sixers.
There was a pop of noise for just about anything James did — his first touch of the ball, an alley-oop slam, a slick behind-the-back dish.
“It was obviously fun to be able to play in front of some of our Philly faithful for the first time,” he said, “being able to take what we’ve done on the practice floor and bring it to a game floor situation around our fans. It was a great first step in the direction we’re trying to go.”
The Sixers’ Blue team began with a 14-5 spurt fueled by the starting five of James, Brown, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and Joel Embiid.
Though the action was mostly casual, everyone delivered highlights and explosive bursts. Embiid moved well and even threw down a powerful lefty dunk on the fast break.
“That’s probably the last dunk of my career,” Embiid joked.
As James noted Saturday, he and Embiid are not starting from scratch as teammates. They earned gold medals with Team USA two years ago at the Paris Olympics.
“The reps have basically picked up from 2024 during the Olympics,” James said. “We have some chemistry. We played a lot of minutes (together); he started a lot of games for us that summer.
“But the difference between ’24 and now is just he’s just so much more healthy. He hasn’t missed a practice. He’s been in everything that we’ve done pretty much. They’ve had to sit him out sometimes when he’s wanted to keep going. You saw (today) how much he played. It’s been good. Actually, it’s been great.”
Outside of his physical gifts, James made an impression at his first Sixers training camp.
Teammates were struck by everything from his early arrivals to his immediate vocal leadership to his deep basketball understanding. Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey on Saturday even commended the 22-time All-Star for “diving on the floor for loose balls.”
“I’m still just making my rounds, getting better and better each day,” James said. “As far as in the building, it’s been smooth. Everybody has been super welcoming. I’ve been able to implement some things with my voice and just my command of how I play the game, my experience playing the game.
“I’m still getting more and more comfortable off the floor without my family, with travel and things of that nature. That’s going to be a little bit of a challenge, but everything has been good so far. Great first week.”
The Sixers have four preseason contests on deck, starting with the opener Monday night in Philadelphia vs. the Knicks.
After that, the scoreboard will be worth watching.
“Everybody has to be on the same page,” Embiid said. “Everybody keeps talking about sacrificing, but I don’t really see it as sacrificing. It’s just about being the best version of yourself. I think when you put great players together, there’s standards you should have for yourself … it’s being more efficient.
“Obviously, you might get less touches, but you also might get more space. So what are you going to do with that space? … It’s just about being a star in your role and doing what you do best. I don’t think anybody should be in a box. You should just go out there and be yourself. Good shot, great shot, bad shot, we’ve all got each other’s back. We’ll move on and then we’ll go get a stop.”
