Joel Embiid also denies tardiness report, questions why it happened: 'It feels like I'm an easy target'

Joel Embiid denied a report that LeBron James criticized him for arriving a couple of minutes late to a 76ers practice, saying in the aftermath that it felt like he was being targeted. The story was recounted by ESPN broadcaster Mike Breen during a Monday preseason Knicks-Sixers game. Breen said someone told him that Embiid walked out onto the court late and James let him hear it. Tuesday, James posted on Instagram that Embiid “ain’t been late so stop the lies,” and Breen later apologized to ESPN after saying he believed LeBron and regretted airing the anecdote. Embiid, after a 114-108 loss to the Nets, said the claim “never happened” and urged the team to focus on itself amid “outside noise.” The two-time MVP also referenced past scrutiny about punctuality, including earlier comments from Tyrese Maxey, and statistics from his Nets outing: six points on 1-for-5 shooting and eight turnovers.