Joel Embiid has been the face of the Philadelphia 76ers for over 10 years. Then LeBron James joined in 2026. Everyone recognizes what a future Hall of Famer brings. The question is whether that erases the veteran who was already there.

In a recent episode of Byron Scott’s Fast Break, one NBA legend was asked how he’d react if he were in Joel Embiid’s shoes, seeing LeBron James start setting the standards for a team as a leader.

“I’ll be like, you ain’t my daddy” said former NBA star Olden Polynice as the room erupted in laughter over his remark. “You ain’t my daddy, you my teammate, you know. You have to respect. Again, the man doesn’t walk on water. I will give you the respect, but that’s about it. You’re still not going to come in and just like dictate stuff.”

The whole situation isn’t just an offshoot conversation surrounding James and Embiid’s status as leaders and veterans. Recently, the two players became a part of a controversy after ESPN’s Mike Breen said live on air that James confronted Embiid for being late to practice.

The remark was made by the long-time commentator during a preseason game between the 76ers and the Knicks. His comments caught LeBron James’ attention; he quickly denied the story.

The story was later dismissed by Embiid as well. Mike Breen maintained that a trusted source had relayed the incident to him. However, given that it was publicly denied by James, the veteran commentator apologized right away.

Even though the situation was clarified, the pot had been stirred. Polynice held that there may have been some element of truth to the story because it came from someone as “well-respected” as Mike Breen, who has proven to be a credible source of NBA insider information.

Furthermore, James has only played one preseason game with the team so far. Olden Polynice held that he isn’t doing enough to get to know his teammates.

“The man plays for the 76ers, and he’s jumping on helicopters every day going to New York,” he said. “It’s like, how are you spending time with your teammates, get to know them outside of practice, which is something you should be trying to do to a certain extent. Get to know these guys because you’re not getting it done in practice.”

That being said, fellow veteran Byron Scott addressed the contrary. He claimed that Joel Embiid “comes half-as**d most of the time.” According to Scott, this may have made LeBron James confront him.

He explained that Joel Embiid has missed a lot of games despite being an iconic player. On the other hand, James has missed fewer games even though he is 10 years older.

It’s true to a certain extent. Stats suggest that Embiid has lost over 480 games throughout his career due to injuries. On the other hand, James has missed drastically fewer games (around 250) during his NBA career.

Does this give him seniority over Joel Embiid? That’s impossible to tell in terms of NBA legacy and status. Both players are legendary in their own right, but Embiid has been with the 76ers for far longer. LeBron James, despite his legendary status, is a newcomer.

Thankfully, the team seems to have been getting along decently in recent history. “We have good energy and good spirit,” James told The Athletic in a recent conversation about his work with the Philadelphia 76ers.