Ex-NBA Star Slams LeBron James Over Helicopter Commute Amid Joel Embiid Controversy

Mike Breen's one-line take about LeBron James and Joel Embiid turned into a three-day storm before the Sixers had even played a regular-season game. James shot it down on Instagram, Breen apologized, and Embiid called it "unfortunate."

Now a former NBA big man is using that same noise to question something that has followed James since his first day of camp: the helicopter ride out of Camden. Olden Polynice, speaking on Byron Scott's "Fast Break," argued the 41-year-old is missing a crucial part of joining a new team.

"The man plays for the 76ers, and he's jumping on helicopters every day going to New York... so how are you spending time with your teammates getting to know them outside of practice, which is something that you should be trying to do," Polynice said.

The criticism fits a pattern that began on Sept. 29, when a chopper was heard lifting off from the Sixers' training complex right after James' first practice, drowning out guard Anfernee Simons' media session.

James signed a two-year, $8 million deal for his 24th season and plans to split time between New York and Philadelphia. The 95-mile trip that takes up to two hours by road takes roughly 30 to 45 minutes by air.

The setup is also cheaper for James than it looks. Front Office Sports reported he is using a Fanatics helicopter, a perk negotiated with CEO Michael Rubin in January 2024, well before he joined Philadelphia. A one-way charter on that route typically runs $4,000 to $10,000, and a Fanatics spokesperson said such travel is a feature of many of its biggest athlete deals.

The commute costs him nothing, but it also means he can keep a New York base without the grind. Which is exactly what Polynice says costs him time with teammates.

Embiid Denial Puts LeBron James’ Locker Room Leadership Under the Microscope

The timing is what gave Polynice's point its edge. During the Sixers' 120-97 preseason win over the Knicks, Breen said on the broadcast that he was told Embiid walked onto the practice court a couple of minutes late and "LeBron let him hear it."

James answered the next day on his Instagram story: "He ain't been late so stop the lies." Breen then apologized, saying he believed James and was sorry for putting the story out there.

Embiid made his own position clear after his preseason debut. A 114-108 loss to the Nets in which he scored eight points on 1-of-5 shooting with eight turnovers. "I don't know where that came from. It never happened," he said, adding that there will be "a lot of outside noise" trying to pull the team apart.

Head coach Nick Nurse backed his center as well, saying Embiid "has been excellent." Rookie VJ Edgecombe, meanwhile, described James as arriving before everyone else on his first day in the locker room, which undercuts any suggestion that the star is detached from the daily work.

Nobody inside the Sixers has complained about the helicopter, and Embiid has called James a teammate and a brother. But Polynice pointed at something that practice reps and preseason box scores cannot show: whether a 41-year-old superstar who sleeps in another city can build the trust that championship teams rely on.

With the Sixers set to open the regular season at Madison Square Garden against the defending champion Knicks, LeBron James and Embiid will get their first real answer when the games finally count.