Sharing the court with strong supporting casts has always been part of LeBron James ' legacy. In his 24th season, that part of his career continued in Philadelphia, where he joined a star-studded 76ers roster.
With so much talent around him, there has been growing anticipation about how James would navigate this unique situation at this stage of his career. During their season opener against the New York Knicks, fans and pundits got a glimpse and no one was more impressed than Golden State Warriors veteran Draymond Green .
"What was very impressive to watch is LeBron James play with that much talent around him," Green said . "That's what was actually very impressive to watch. The talent around him allows him to just make smart plays."
In July, the former Los Angeles Lakers star inked a two-year, $8 million deal with the 76ers. He brought a wealth of experience to a competitive team, bannered by Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe and Jaylen Brown, who was traded to the team weeks earlier.
As Green puts it, the talent in Philadelphia this season is simply outrageous, and he saw that on full display when the Sixers defeated the defending champions to start the season.
Maxey had 28 points and five assists, while Brown posted 19 points and eight rebounds. Embiid had 13 points and 11 rebounds. Finally, LeBron flirted with a triple-double of 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
"I was a bit impressed with the Sixers because the talent is outrageous," Green said.
At the end of the day, however, people can't deny that James is old and way past his prime. His days of carrying teams on his back have long been over.
He now thrives in a supporting role. And for Green, his situation with the Sixers could not be any more perfect. He explained that James will just have to produce for the team without relying so much on his athleticism or strength, instead using only his high basketball IQ.
"LeBron James will make the same smart play 10 times. Like, he never gets bored with smart plays," Green said. "LeBron James will do the same thing over and over…again until you stop it. That's the type of discipline that he has. So, to see him with that much talent around him, uh, I thought was pretty impressive."
Although LeBron's life is expected to be easy because of the star power surrounding him, some concerns are still expected to arise during the season. Green pointed to the lack of a clear first option as a potential issue for the 76ers.
Brown was one of the franchise centerpieces of the Boston Celtics, while Maxey and Embiid have long been the franchise's established stars.
"The one thing I will say is the ball was spread out quite a bit…As the season goes on, I think you do have to define, like, who's the first option, who's the second option," he explained.
"Game 1 of the season is fine, but when you're in Game 37 and it's the dog days, and the game calls for someone to take over, you kind of need to know who that's going to be. And so it'd be interesting to see who emerges."
The Sixers are now 3-1 and will next face the Indiana Pacers. The team still has a few rough patches to smooth out. But James and his talented squad will continue building chemistry as the season goes on.
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This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Oct 26, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
