NBA Champion Picks 76ers to “Dethrone” Knicks Because of One Man And It's Not LeBron James

Earlier this summer, LeBron James shocked the basketball world when he decided to take his talents to the City of Brotherly Love. James, who signed a surprisingly low two-year, $8 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, formed a superteam with Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey.

Given the circumstances, many have now set championship expectations on the 76ers. However, a former NBA champion doesn't believe that LeBron will be the reason why Philly would win a title. In a recent episode of NBA Today, Kendrick Perkins believes that 76ers head coach Nick Nurse will be the difference-maker for the team.

"We know one thing about Nick Nurse is that he knows how to put guys in positions to be successful," Perkins said. "Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam, Danny Green- all of you guys, he put y'all in positions and found a way to make that offense work. Let me answer the question: yes, the 76ers are the team to dethrone the Knicks."

Back in 2019, Nurse led the Toronto Raptors to the franchise's first NBA title in history. Similar to Kawhi Leonard, what made the championship victory special was the fact that Nurse accomplished it in only his first season as the Raptors' head coach.

Despite only winning one championship in his coaching career, Nurse still has a decorated championship portfolio. Nick has also won two NBA G League championships and nine British Basketball League championships as a head coach.

Combining his experience with a four-time champion in LeBron James, the 76ers could be looking at their first title in 44 years.

LeBron James' 76ers Teammate Looking Forward to His Leadership

Now that LeBron James is entering his 24th NBA season, he is the most tenured NBA star in history. Throughout his career, James has shown nothing short of greatness on the hardwood. He's a four-time NBA champion, a four-time NBA Finals MVP, a four-time NBA MVP, and a 22-time NBA All-Star.

Given his experience, many of the younger guys in the league look up to him, especially his newfound Philadelphia 76ers teammates. In a recent interview with Jabari Walker on NBC Sports, he shared his thoughts on having LeBron as one of his veterans.

"I didn't realize he was so vocal," Walker said. "When he talks, you just want to be quiet and just listen. It always makes sense. He’s not talking just to talk... He just commands the room. You see why LeBron is so respected and why he's done things he's done."

Without question, James will play an impactful role for the 76ers this coming 2026-27 season. In the preseason, we've already seen a glimpse of what to expect in the regular season. At least so far, it seems that LeBron has transitioned into a pure point guard, focusing more on facilitating the ball for his teammates.

Thankfully, the 76ers have a lot of scoring options. Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey are both high-volume scorers who LeBron could easily set up. Then there's Joel Embiid; he could easily dominate the paint on his own. Having James in his back pocket should make it easier for him to own the inside.

Having all that in mind, things are looking bright in Philadelphia. It'll all come down to whether the team can stay healthy throughout the season and if the chemistry will work until the end.