During the LeBron James recruiting process for the Philadelphia 76ers, there were some rumors flying around about the superstar forward's concerns with Joel Embiid's health and durability. One rumor even went as far as suggesting that the thought of Embiid's lack of availability would be a deal-breaker for his chances of going to Philly.
That rumor ended up being a stretch. The first part was basically confirmed by ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, who recently penned one of the several in-depth pieces that peeled back the curtain on LeBron James' big decision process. What did we learn?
"James has long admired Embiid's talent and basketball IQ, sources close to him said. But like many in the league, he had questions about Embiid's durability," Shelburne wrote. "James ultimately decided that the Sixers had the kind of high IQ basketball players and high-end talent he was looking for."
LeBron James can be cautiously concerned
As can the rest of Philadelphia. Look, at this point, all you can have is hope for Embiid's health. Nobody expects him to play a full season, and everybody paying attention knows that even getting to 65 games is a tall task. If LeBron is truly concerned about Embiid's health, then he's just joining the club of the thousands who have watched him play throughout the years.
The last time Embiid played in over 40 games was during the 2022-2023 NBA season, when he won the MVP award. He played in just over 35 games in two of the next three seasons. It's unfortunate, but at the same time, don't let the cautious concerns distract you from the potential that brought LeBron to Philly.
Don't the concerns scare you off
James already previewed playing with Embiid during the Paris Olympics. While he didn't have a dominant run on the stat sheets, Embiid did the little things to contribute to the USA winning gold. Clearly, that run did a lot more for the Sixers than just simply giving them a shot to see their star center wear a medal.
Finally playing with Tyrese Maxey outside of a workout setting and linking with the former Boston Celtics superstar Jaylen Brown also intrigued LeBron. On paper, the Sixers are clearly one of the most talented starting fives in the league. With a healthy Embiid, the sky is the limit. But even without him, the Sixers won't feel as helpless. The availability concerns are real, but like LeBron, don't let them scare you off.
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