Joel Embiid rejects 'back seat' idea for loaded 76ers

Expectations are unusually high in Philadelphia, and Joel Embiid does not believe meeting them requires the 76ers’ biggest names to scale back who they are. As the regular season approaches, Embiid pushed back on the idea that a roster featuring multiple stars can only work if someone fades into the background.

Philadelphia enters the new campaign with one of the league’s most closely watched lineups. Jaylen Brown arrived as the headline piece in a blockbuster trade, and LeBron James later chose the 76ers in free agency after weighing several options this offseason. With Tyrese Maxey and Embiid already established as long-term pillars in Philadelphia, the Sixers now have the kind of top-end talent that naturally brings questions about touches, roles and chemistry.

Embiid made it clear after Friday’s preseason finale that he does not view sacrifice as the right framework. “I’m against the concept of sacrificing,” he said. “I think the way I explained it was you do what you do best, and we’re going to support you. ... I don’t think anybody has to take a back seat.”

That outlook offers a window into how Philadelphia hopes to function under coach Nick Nurse. Rather than asking its stars to become lesser versions of themselves, the Sixers appear intent on building a system that lets each player lean into his strengths while the group learns how to connect around them. It is an ambitious approach, but one that reflects the confidence surrounding the roster.

Friday’s exhibition provided another preview of that process. Four of Philadelphia’s stars played in the preseason finale, while emerging talent VJ Edgecombe did not suit up. Even without a full look at every key piece, the game still showed flashes of the ceiling the Sixers believe they can reach once the regular season begins next week.

Embiid looked especially sharp, finishing with 27 points and eight rebounds while delivering a dunk that stood out as one of the night’s signature moments. He appeared comfortable and productive, a positive sign for a team that will rely heavily on his presence at both ends of the floor as it tries to turn star power into sustained results.

The final score, however, also underscored that Philadelphia remains a work in progress. The Boston Celtics closed out a 125-120 overtime win, ending both teams’ preseason schedules on a competitive note. At times, the Sixers’ star-heavy group looked uneven, and Brown pointed to spacing as one reason some possessions broke down into turnovers.

“We’re not where we want to be yet,” Brown said. “So that’s just a part of it. It’s a part of coming together, a new group with a bunch of guys, different style, but we just got to keep getting better every day.”

James offered a similar assessment, acknowledging that the team is still early in the process but showing no alarm about where things stand. “We’re getting there,” he said. “I mean, obviously we are a couple of weeks in, so we’re still working on our rhythm, working on our kinks, and it’s not going to be perfect.”

That may be the most realistic snapshot of Philadelphia entering the 2026-27 season: a team with enormous promise, obvious star appeal and real details left to solve. The Sixers do not look finished, but they do look convinced that balance does not have to mean compromise.

The regular season begins Tuesday with three marquee games, including Philadelphia’s trip to Madison Square Garden to face the defending champion New York Knicks. That opener will offer the first meaningful test of whether Embiid’s vision can hold up immediately — not with anyone taking a back seat, but with every star trying to drive the same title chase forward.