One of the biggest offseason discussions centered on LeBron James’ decision to leave the Los Angeles Lakers for his next destination, with the saga ultimately ending in Philadelphia.
The four-time champion’s arrival boosted the 76ers’ championship aspirations, and New York Knicks champion Josh Hart offered his perspective on how the Knicks view the blockbuster addition.
Josh Hart Has a Blunt Take on LeBron James Joining Philadelphia
As James signed a two-year contract with the 76ers after spending nearly a decade with the Lakers, the balance in the Eastern Conference could very well shift.
Philadelphia’s offseason transformed them into one of New York’s biggest threats. The Sixers had already made a major splash by adding Jaylen Brown, and pairing him with James gives them tremendous star power.
Hart and the Knicks will now have to prepare for a Philadelphia roster featuring James, Brown, Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe.
Speaking with “Yahoo Sports Daily” on Tuesday, Hart discussed what James’ arrival means for Philadelphia.
“It fits them very well in terms of his style of play,” Hart said. “Obviously, it’s a good city, so it fits well, and obviously that adds another piece that we got to game plan for, to already having to game plan for Jaylen Brown, two newcomers, obviously.”
“It fits them very well in terms of [LeBron’s] style of play. … It adds more complexity to their roster.” 👑
Knicks guard @joshhart on LeBron James signing with the 76ers this offseason.
(via Yahoo Sports Daily) pic.twitter.com/IDVzGeUoYS
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) August 25, 2026
“And then we’ve been game planning for Tyrese and Joel for the last couple of years; we’ve had to play them in the playoffs, so it adds more complexity to their roster. They got better. They had a great summer.”
Hart and New York are coming off a championship season, with the Knicks capturing their first title in 53 years.
The Knicks will receive their championship rings before opening the upcoming season at Madison Square Garden against the revamped 76ers, setting up an immediate showdown between two Eastern Conference contenders.
When John Clark asked who he believed was the team to beat between these two, Hart made it clear that outside opinions were not his concern.
“I don’t really know,” Hart told Clark. “I don’t really care either…Obviously, we won last year. We celebrated with that, and now it’s back to work, and we always view ourselves as the hunters. You know, we’re not happy or not complacent with where we are now.”
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Whether James can provide Philadelphia with the final boost needed to compete for a championship remains to be seen. At the same time, Hart and the Knicks will look to prove that their success last season was only the beginning.
There is also a connection between Hart’s family and James: The 2026 NBA champion revealed in a July interview with PEOPLE that one of his twin sons, Haze, is a fan of the former Lakers star.
