The shoe finally dropped on LeBron James’ free agency on Friday, which ended three weeks of speculation and rumors. After eight years with the Los Angeles Lakers, the four-time MVP is taking his talents to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Despite James joining a stacked roster, Stephen A. Smith predicts the 76ers can only win the championship under one condition.
Stephen A. Smith Believes 76ers Could Win NBA Championship With LeBron James
The 76ers turned themselves into one of the frontrunners in the James sweepstakes after shockingly acquiring Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics. Philly, which didn’t even have to give up VJ Edgecombe or Tyrese Maxey in the deal, sent the oft-injured Paul George for the All-NBA guard.
With the 76ers’ core as good as anybody in the NBA, James decided to end his longest tenure in free agency to sign with the team on a two-year, $8 million contract.
On Friday’s “First Take,” Smith shared his thoughts on how the 22-time All-Star’s addition will impact the 76ers’ championship aspirations.
“Now, you got Jaylen Brown, who is big time, obviously, with Tyrese Maxey, who is big time. You got him with VJ Edgecombe, who shined as a rookie and has got tremendous potential. … If Joel Embiid is 50% (healthy), I mean, if he can give you anything during the playoffs, the Philadelphia 76ers could win the championship,” Smith said.
BREAKING: LeBron James is signing with the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year, $8 million deal with a player option, Klutch Sports Group told @ShamsCharania.@stephenasmith reacts to the news ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/02BPAGx2l0
— First Take (@FirstTake) July 24, 2026
Embiid’s inability to consistently stay healthy, particularly in the playoffs, has been one of the biggest what-ifs in 76ers history.
In the 2026 playoffs alone, he played in just four of the 76ers’ seven-game series win against the Celtics in the first round. He missed the first three games, which was a key reason Philly trailed 1-2. With him on the floor, the 76ers went 3-1 to edge their rivals. In the clinching Game 7, he tallied 34 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists.
With the four-time NBA Finals MVP on board, Smith sees the 76ers needing just 50% of Embiid in the postseason to end the franchise’s 43-year championship drought. Smith puts the 76ers in the same category as the defending champion New York Knicks to represent the East in the 2027 NBA Finals.
In hindsight, James gave hints about his next basketball destination during the “Mind the Game” podcast at last week’s Fanatics Fest in New York. The NBA’s all-time scoring king, who teased the crowd about his decision, told them to “Trust the Process,” the 76ers’ mantra since Embiid joined the team in 2014.
Now that the 41-year-old star is with the 76ers, he and Embiid could combine to help put a punctuation mark on that process with a championship.
