LeBron James listened to Joel Embiid's 76ers' pitch, 12 years later. The East is in for a shakeup

Summary by The San Antonio Editorial Desk · Based on reporting by Dan Gelston, Associated Press, KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate) · July 24, 2026 · 6 min read

The social media pitch to bring LeBron James to Philadelphia was an almost naive one from Joel Embiid. “ @KingJames hey bro hope you’re having a good day...... Want to join us in philly?? Peace," Embiid wrote. His recruitment skills were on point and James — the four-time NBA champion and career...

Why this matters in The San Antonio

The ripple effects of LeBron James' decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers will be felt throughout the Eastern Conference, and San Antonio fans should take notice. As a city that lives and breathes basketball, the Spurs' chances of making a deep playoff run just got a little more complicated. With James teaming up with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Jaylen Brown, the 76ers have become a formidable force in the East. The Spurs will likely face stiff competition from the 76ers, as well as other top teams in the conference, making their path to the playoffs even more challenging. San Antonio fans will be watching closely to see how the Spurs respond to this new landscape, and whether they can make the necessary adjustments to remain competitive in a rapidly changing Eastern Conference. The addition of James to the 76ers has raised the bar, and the Spurs will need to be at the top of their game to keep pace.

About this story

Original reporting by KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate). The San Antonio surfaces reporting from trusted publishers and adds local editorial context so readers can quickly understand what a story means for their community. We attribute every source, link to the original report, and follow a documented editorial standards policy. To understand how stories are selected and reviewed, read our about page.

For the complete original report, visit KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate). Have a tip or correction? Contact our newsroom.

Category: local · Published: July 24, 2026 · Source: KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate) · Reading time: 6 min

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Summary created by	The San Antonio Editorial Desk — automated, rule-governed
Original reporting	Dan Gelston, Associated Press, KSAT 12 (ABC affiliate)
Original story	Read at the source
Source published	Jul 24, 2026
Indexed here	Jul 24, 2026
AI assistance	Automated summary drawn from the source’s own published text
Prepublication human review	No — editorial rules, flagged-item review, and published samples

LeBron James listened to Joel Embiid's 76ers' pitch, 12 years later. The East is in for a shakeup

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