This year’s offseason has been extremely fruitful for the Philadelphia 76ers. After crashing out in the second round of the playoffs this year, the 76ers have made the necessary adjustments to position themselves as contenders moving forward. But with the arrival of Jaylen Brown and LeBron James, Philadelphia may even be in a better position than anticipated.
On paper, the 76ers can be considered favorites in the East. While noting the team’s potential to compete on a recent live stream, however, Jaylen Brown seemed optimistic enough to make early celebration plans.
Having overcome his fear of heights after skydiving in Egypt, Brown suggested that the team do the same after winning the championship. Sadly, LeBron James was less than convinced.
“You can’t make this s–t up,” Brown revealed. “I told the team- I told V.J., Maxey, LeBron, and Embiid. You can ask them. I told V.J., Bron, Maxey, and Embiid, [if] we win a championship, everybody’s going skydiving. Bron texted me back and said, ‘Boy, hell nah.'”
Although Brown has reason to be excited about the adrenaline-fueled activity, it is clear that at 41, LeBron James did not view things the same way. Regardless, the hilarious exchange between teammates points to a very important factor: chemistry.
While displaying a video of his own skydiving experience, Brown noted that his hairline was being pushed back due to the air. Still, he joked:
“It’s the damn G force. My Nutrafol s–t coming back. I’m about to get with Bron, my s–t coming back.”
It is worth noting that both Brown and James have drawn attention over their respective hair systems. Although this would typically be an embarrassing topic of discussion, the banter initiated by Brown is an extremely positive sign.
With the 76ers’ newest additions establishing a certain degree of comfort with each other early on, Philadelphia can be optimistic about how they will pair on the floor.
Jaylen Brown Opens Up On Being LeBron James’ Teammate
While acquiring Jaylen Brown from Boston, especially at the price that they did, was already impressive enough, the 76ers took things a step further by adding LeBron James to their core. By pairing its star-studded core with one of the league’s best players last season and one of the greatest players of all time, Philadelphia has compiled a truly formidable roster.
On that note, during his Twitch live stream, Jaylen Brown opened up on being LeBron James’ teammate and what he expected to gain from this partnership.
“I’m super excited for the upcoming season. We’ve got Bron and like, what an opportunity that is,” Brown shared. “Like, obviously, everybody is going to say what they’re going to say, and there’s going to be a bunch of media this whole, entire season. But for me, it’s like, what an opportunity it is for me to learn.”
“One of my favorite things to do is to learn. Despite what people may say, despite what people may feel, my favorite thing to do is to learn. I love learning. So, to have the opportunity to learn from one of- if not the greatest player of all time. I get an opportunity to [learn] on the court and off the court, learn and gather experiences that can accumulate to my own knowledge base.”
At 41, LeBron James is not the player he used to be. Still, the superstar is essentially an archive of experience and basketball knowledge. For a player like Brown, who is constantly seeking to improve himself, there may not have been a more suitable partner.
James’ addition could be the catalyst for Brown’s improvement and the growth of young players like Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe. Although many have argued against this (and for valid reasons), the 76ers will certainly hope that LeBron James’ influence catapults these players to greater heights.
Needless to say, the 76ers’ primary goal remains to win it all. While it is too early to gauge whether Philadelphia is prepared to make a title push, for a player like James, the next two seasons are essentially championship-or-bust.
