The Philadelphia 76ers have enjoyed a promising start to the 2026-27 NBA season. They currently have a record of 9-2 and have established themselves as one of the stronger sides in the Eastern Conference.

However, despite their early success, 3-time NBA champion Byron Scott has made an interesting claim about LeBron James and his fit with the franchise.

3-Time Champion Makes Bold LeBron James Claim

On the latest episode of his “Byron Scott’s Fast Break” podcast, Scott said James needs the 76ers more than the 76ers need him. According to him, Philly is already a young, hungry team that just came off an Eastern Conference exit.

In his view, Joel Embiid is the real key. If Embiid stays healthy, Scott believes this team was a contender even before James showed up. Adding Jaylen Brown only makes that base stronger.

“Well, he [LeBron James] needs them more than they need him. You know, I mean, if you look at Philly right now, and again, I always go back to it, especially when you got a young team, a young group of guys that just got ousted in the Eastern Conference. They’re going to come back hungry,” Scott said on the podcast.

“And we’ve been saying from day one that the key to that team is Embiid. If he stays healthy, they’ve got a chance, right? That’s before they even added LeBron. I still think that. So, I think obviously when they added Jaylen Brown, that even gave them more firepower,” he added.

Scott did say that James’ presence gives Philly a push. But he still felt it was James who needed a competitive situation like this one, more than the Sixers needed him.

“Now him [James] coming over obviously gives them, you know, an extra great player who’s done it all for so many years to add to that lineup that gives them an even better chance. But did they necessarily need him to get over the hump? Probably not. I think LeBron needed them more than they needed him,” Scott added.

Scott spoke highly of Embiid, but the latter’s current numbers don’t really back that up. On Friday against the Cleveland Cavaliers, he had a rough night.

He scored just 6 points on 0-of-9 shooting from the field, including 0-of-2 from the 3-point range. He went 6-of-6 at the free-throw line and added 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 1 assist in 25 minutes.

Embiid bounced back a bit against the Chicago Bulls. He finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists. For the season, he is averaging 17.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. Those are decent numbers, but not what you would expect from the man called the key to the whole team.

James’ numbers are not exactly eye-catching either. He has missed two games so far this season and is averaging 15.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game.

One player who has been consistently productive is Jaylen Brown. He is putting up 22.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game, which makes him the second-highest scorer on the team behind Tyrese Maxey.

Still, it is early. Philadelphia has plenty of time to figure things out, and Embiid has plenty of time to prove Scott right.