LeBron James, now 41 years old and heading into his 24th NBA season, is reportedly dealing with chronic arthritis in his left foot. This isn’t just some casual ache, either. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, it’s a real issue for the star forward as he starts his tenure with the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Daily Grind Just Got Real
Being in the league for nearly a quarter-century means stacking up insane accolades, but it also means the body takes a beating. For LeBron, that means a daily grind starting at 7:45 a.m. at the 76ers facility, flying in from New York via helicopter. His longtime trainer, Mike Mancias, works with him, paying special attention to that left foot to help with the chronic arthritis. They also focus on his lower back, which is still dealing with lingering sciatica symptoms after he missed a month at the start of the 2025-2026 season with the Lakers. Look, we know LeBron’s no stranger to injuries, but the dude has still managed to play at least 55 games in every non-COVID season of his career. That’s just wild consistency, even with the wear and tear.
New Team, New Strategy, Same LeBron Impact
This past summer, James joined the 76ers as a free agent. He didn’t pull a “Decision 2,” but he definitely kept everyone guessing, reportedly mulling over joining five different teams before landing in Philly. McMenamin’s story gives us a peek behind the curtain at the first week of training camp, and it’s clear the 76ers are getting right to business. Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, and James himself met as a foursome right away to work on two-man plays. The goal? To get a jump start on adjusting to how defenses are going to trap them. “All four of those guys are going to be trapped somehow during the game, whether it’s in the post or on the wing,” a source said. “We worked a lot on passing out of the post, making the extra pass to the corner.” The only projected starter not in that early huddle was 21-year-old VJ Edgecombe, but it’s assumed he’ll join those walkthroughs soon. Edgecombe, by the way, was super proud he was the one who started the team’s new group chat, even if he had to ask Tyrese Maxey to add ‘Bron since he didn’t have James’s number.
The new-look 76ers hit the court together for the first time on Monday night for a preseason game against the New York Knicks. The 2026-2027 season officially kicks off on Tuesday, October 20. We’ll see James make his official team debut in the second of three Opening Day games when the 76ers face the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. This is going to be a fascinating season to watch unfold.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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