"He's Gonna Elevate Everybody" — 76ers Explain LeBron James' Role

When you’ve been in the league for over 20 years, there's not much you don’t know. Your skills may diminish, but your understanding of the game continues to sharpen. LeBron James is the only exception where both skill and IQ remain at a high level. 

Philadelphia 76ers president Mike Gansey believes James' role on the team is more than that of an old veteran looking for one last hurrah.   During an ESPN interview Gansey spoke on what his role could look like. 

“LeBron is a connector. He fits every role he possibly can. He’s gonna elevate everybody in the whole building.”

There’s one thing that stands to be true: every player that plays with him has improved. From his days with the Miami Heat to his recent years in Los Angeles, if James was a teammate ofyours,s there was little doubt about what you could accomplish.

Those same sentiments are expected in Philadelphia. No matter where James goes, there will always be expectations of a championship. For this team he will be a guide with his voice more than his play. Now this doesn’t mean that he won’t be expected to play at a high level; it just means that his voice could have a bigger impact than what he does on the court.

With All-Star center Joel Embiid back and fully healthy, it will help alleviate some of the pressure off of James. You see, Embiid is a key component in what the 76ers want to do this year too.  Embiid and James have worked together before, so they may have better chemistry compared to the rest of the team. Gansey believes this will be something that shows early on the court together. 

“I went back and watched some of the Olympic tape with him and LeBron. Those two played pretty well together.”

Not only did they gel together on the court, both were a main piece in bringing home the gold for the USA Basketball team. Their influence will carry this Philadelphia team a long way. This speaks to what James can be for a teammate. His influence can really galvanize a team, especially when things begin to look bleak.

It’s going to take every player to be on the same page if there’s going to be any hope of winning the big one. The good thing about having a player like LeBron on the team is that you’ll never be out of any situation. This season will be one for the ages, so everyone enjoy the ride. 

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