Embiid Calls Himself 'Easy Target' After LeBron Report — SkimNews
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- Joel Embiid called the report that LeBron James got on him for being late to practice 'not true,' saying 'I don't know where that came from' and 'it never happened.'
- Embiid said the scrutiny makes him feel like 'an easy target,' adding 'what can you do? It's unfortunate' as he called for the Sixers to 'keep our [head] down' amid 'outside noise.'
- The report originated from MSG Networks play-by-play announcer Mike Breen, who said during Monday's broadcast of Philadelphia's 120-97 win over the Knicks that James 'let him hear it' when Embiid arrived late to the court.
- LeBron James called the report 'lies' on his Instagram account Tuesday, and Breen later apologized.
- Embiid struggled in his preseason debut Thursday against the Brooklyn Nets, scoring 8 points on 1-for-5 shooting with 8 turnovers in 24 minutes of Philadelphia's 114-108 loss.
Why it matters: The episode underscores how a single offhand broadcaster remark can ricochet into a league-wide narrative involving two of its biggest stars, with both Embiid and James forced to publicly rebut it. Breen's apology and James's Instagram denial show how quickly a secondhand anecdote was disavowed by all directly named parties.
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