ESPN’s Mike Breen had to issue a full-on apology Wednesday after a story he told about LeBron James and Joel Embiid on air got absolutely shredded by LeBron himself. The long-time play-by-play announcer for the NBA found himself in hot water, telling ESPN that he was “so disappointed how the story was interpreted” after his on-air anecdote was swiftly refuted by James on social media.
LeBron James Just Shut Down the Hype Train (Literally)
So, here’s what went down: Breen was on the call for the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers preseason game earlier this week, a 120-97 win for the 76ers on Monday. In the fourth quarter, he dropped a story he said he heard from “someone I trust.” Breen claimed that “Somebody told me before the game that they were out ready to practice, and Joel Embiid walked out on the court a couple of minutes late, and LeBron let him hear it.” Talk about a bombshell, right? A new teammate, The King, already laying down the law with one of the league’s biggest stars!
But LeBron? He wasn’t having any of it. He hit up his Instagram story on Tuesday, straight-up pushing back hard. His message was crystal clear: Embiid “ain’t been late so stop the lies.” Boom. That’s a direct challenge to the narrative, and it leaves no room for guessing where LeBron stands.
Mike Breen’s Bad Beat and What It REALLY Means for Philly
Breen quickly walked it back, admitting, “I don’t know why the person who told me the story would make it up, but if LeBron says it never happened then I believe him and apologize for putting it out there.” He even clarified his original intent, saying, “The whole intent was praising LeBron for already having an impact on the team’s professionalism and accountability, even something so benign as a player getting on the court for practice a minute or two late.” He thought it would be an “interesting anecdote to show LeBron’s leadership already on display in Philly.”
Here’s where it gets spicy though: Breen admitted he overlooked a huge part of the story’s impact. “For me, the fact that the teammate was Joel was meaningless,” he said. But in hindsight? “I should have realized the fact that it was Joel is what made it a story.” He feels “awful that it put the focus on him the way that it did,” especially since he’s “always been a huge fan of Joel.” This whole thing, while it might seem minor, actually brings up some old reports from “a few years ago when Embiid was reportedly challenged by teammates for being late ‘for everything.’” Embiid, who’s been a beast averaging 26.9 points and 7.7 rebounds per game last season, his 10th with the 76ers, has also been limited by injuries, playing no more than 39 games in any of the last three seasons.
Coach Nurse on the Noise, and Why It’s Only Getting Louder
So why does this even matter? Because LeBron James just signed with the 76ers in free agency, teaming up with Embiid for the first time this fall. His presence means “plenty of extra eyes” on the organization, as Breen’s story perfectly exemplifies. Every single thing is going to be scrutinized under a microscope.
76ers coach Nick Nurse already gets it. He weighed in on Wednesday, keeping it focused on the task at hand. “All I’m really focused on is getting the players to the practice floor and getting the players to the game floor,” Nurse said. “And that’s what they are going to do, too. We understand. We’ve had meetings and we’ve talked about, ‘Yes, there’ll be outside noise, but it’s up to us, I think, to manage it.’” With LeBron and Embiid together, you know the spotlight is only going to get brighter, and this early season drama is just a taste of what’s to come. What kind of season are we in for with these two? We’re about to find out.
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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