The Philadelphia 76ers just flipped their whole roster, bringing in huge names like LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, along with a bunch of other new players. But forget the big headlines for a second, because the real story brewing in Philly is all about chemistry, especially between new teammates Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid. This isn’t just a regular teammate situation either, because not too long ago, Brown was calling Embiid a “flopper” after the Sixers eliminated the Boston Celtics from the playoffs. Yeah, things just got interesting.
From Rival Remarks to Mutual Respect
You remember that playoff series right? Philly rallied from a 3-1 deficit to bounce the Celtics, and Brown went on his stream to throw some shade at Embiid’s flopping ways. Fast forward to now, and these two are sharing a locker room. So, what’s the vibe? Brown spilled the tea on Thursday, saying, “It’s been good.” He added that he and Joel “been friends throughout the years” and share “mutual respect.” Turns out, they’re both big soccer fans, so that’s a big topic for them. Embiid even reached out to Brown the same day he got traded, talking on the phone to smooth things over. Brown sounds ready to get to work, stating he’s “looking forward to earning everybody’s trust and respect and grind and be impactful.” That’s his M.O. and he plans to bring that same energy to the Sixers.
Group Chats, LeBron, and Getting on the Same Page
Look, Embiid is one of the best players in the league, period. When he’s in a rhythm, he’s basically unstoppable, and Brown even defended him down the stretch in Game 7 against Boston when Embiid carried Philly to the win. So those “flopper” comments? Chalk it up to emotions from a heated series, I guess. Now, Brown and Embiid are teammates, and they are putting in the work to get everybody aligned. Brown confirmed they “talk damn near every day, almost.” It’s not just one-on-one, either. They have “multiple” group chats with the whole crew, including LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe. Brown even noted that LeBron is “active in the group chat,” which is just wild to imagine. Everyone’s trying to “figure this thing out” and get “on the same page.”
The opportunity in Philly is “incredible,” Brown admits, but he knows it means they “also got to put in the work.” His focus is squarely on that, earning respect from the city and the coaching staff. Brown gets it: “You got to build from the foundation and build up. Can’t skip steps, so we’re not skipping those steps. We start early.” That’s the mindset you need when you’re trying to build a contender from the ground up, especially with a history like theirs.
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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