LeBron James-led 76ers Cannot Thrive With Egos, Reiterates Tyrese Maxey

Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Joel Embiid will have to share the ball with LeBron James and Jaylen Brown next season.

LeBron James-led 76ers Cannot Thrive With Egos, Reiterates Tyrese Maxey

LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey, and Jaylen Brown (Image via Chris Johnson Hoops/X)

One of the primary concerns many have put forward about the Philadelphia 76ers is how a starting lineup that consists of LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe could thrive.

That is almost a five-All-Star lineup. It also means that every one of them will want to prove their worth to the franchise, leading to them asking for the ball more often than not.

Sure, with the oldest player in the league leading the team, he may dictate who gets the ball depending on the situation. But there may be times when his new teammates could grow frustrated at the thought of not having enough opportunities as they enjoyed before.

Head coach Nick Nurse might already be burning the midnight oil trying to formulate game plans that can avoid any potential clashes and help the team thrive together. But Maxey has one solution in his mind that can possibly stop problems from starting.

I think the biggest thing is we can’t have anybody- nobody on this team can have an ego. We have two guys that have won regular-season MVPs, two guys that have won Finals MVPs, multiple gold medal winners on this team, multiple 25-plus points per game, All-Stars, All-NBA. We’re all pretty accomplished. So the ego has to drop, and you have to do it collectively.

Tyrese Maxey told Hoops Hype

The 25-year-old believes that it is important for every player on his 76ers to leave their egos at the door. It does not matter who has the ball; they just have to do their job. Moreover, with so many accomplished players on the team, it is going to take a collective effort to ensure the rest are not bringing their egos into the mix.

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Brian Windhorst warns LeBron James-led teams have history of struggling early

One of the ways the 76ers can avoid ego-driven problems is if they build camaraderie before the season starts. However, even if they do, Brian Windhorst does not believe the team will dominate early on.

In the last 9 years, do you know how many times LeBron’s team has gone over 50 and a half?… Twice… So LeBron hasn’t been on powerhouse regular-season teams for a while now… When LeBron change his teams, they tend to get off to a slower start… Learning to play with LeBron takes a while.

Brian Windhorst said on The Hoop Collective

The longtime analyst pointed to all the times LeBron James joined a new team to add weight to his opinion. He believes that the Sixers may not even win 50 games this season, considering that it takes time to learn how to play with the King.

Sure, Tyrese Maxey may have worked out with the four-time champion, and Joel Embiid has thrived alongside him at the Paris Olympics. But practice and FIBA basketball are different from the fast-paced style in the NBA.

Therefore, a team has to be in sync to be able to consistently beat their opponents. To build that, Windhorst believes that LeBron James’ new teammates will take time to learn the four-time league MVP‘s nuances.

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Jaylen Brown joins LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey workouts

Camaraderie can help break down any egos among the top players. LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey have been working out quite a few times, and so have Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe.

Maxey and James looking on as Jaylen Brown shoots
Maxey and James looking on as Jaylen Brown shoots (Image via Chris Johnson Hoops/X)

Now, Jaylen Brown has joined the former group to work out with their trainers. Pictures shared by Chris Johnson reveal the trio working out extensively on schemes, getting their shooting rhythm back, and exchanging notes.

If this continues, it should not be long before Embiid and Edgecombe join the trio. Official training camp usually does not start until late September. That means these private workouts could be the best way to build chemistry before starting their day jobs.

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