NBA broadcaster Mike Breen apologized after LeBron James disputed a report that he had confronted Joel Embiid at a Philadelphia 76ers practice.
The story surfaced after two major offseason moves by the 76ers in 2026: the team traded for Jaylen Brown and signed LeBron James. During a preseason broadcast of a Philadelphia-New York game, Breen repeated what an unnamed person had told him. The person said Embiid had come onto the court about two minutes late before practice and that James had called him out. Breen did not witness the exchange himself.
James responded on Instagram that the story was false and that Embiid had not been late. Speaking to ESPN, Breen said he believed James and regretted repeating the anecdote. He said he had not expected that mentioning Embiid would turn a casual comment during a preseason broadcast into a separate news story.
Breen said he should have considered how the anecdote would be received. He added that he had always been a fan of Embiid and felt bad that attention had been directed at the player. The dispute arose after the team's first preseason game of the 2026-27 season.