Philadelphia Icon Allen Iverson Breaks Silence on LeBron James Joining the 76ers

As of July 26, LeBron James is an official member of the Philadelphia 76ers. It was a move that nobody saw coming. Despite the 76ers being one of the five teams that James was choosing from, they were the least expected team to be selected.

Arguably one of the greatest 76ers players of all time, Allen Iverson broke his silence on James going to Philly. The King and AI are familiar with each other. They had the opportunity to play together as teammates in four different All-Star games, but never on the same NBA team. But now that James is joining the team Iverson has proudly represented in his career, he's excited to see what he can accomplish with the 76ers.

"I'm ecstatic, man," Iverson said on The Stephen A. Smith Show. "I'm just happy for the city of Philadelphia, man. The type of player he is, the type of person he is, I'm just happy, man. He brings a lot. He really is the answer."

Iverson then shared that he never reached out to James during his decision-making process.

"I stay in my own lane," Iverson said. "That was something that I know was probably hard for him to do. With his family, and Cleveland, and other spots that he was thinking about going to, I know it was hard enough. I definitely wasn't trying to put added pressure to the situation. I just sat back and hoped for the best. It was a blessing that we were able to get him to the city, man."

James is now set to join fellow All-Stars Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey. Looking at their lineup, there's a lot of expectation for them to win the championship next season.

The last time the 76ers won a title was back in 1983. Also, 2001 was the last year they went to the NBA Finals. The question now is: can LeBron help the Sixers achieve what Iverson couldn't 25 years ago?

Allen Iverson Sets Expectations on LeBron James and the 76ers

When the Boston Celtics decided to trade Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers, there were expectations that the team would become a strong Eastern Conference contender again. However, when LeBron James decided to join the Sixers, expectations skyrocketed, with everyone anticipating a title win.

Apparently, 76ers legend Allen Iverson expects to see his former team go all the way next season, especially now that James is in the picture.

"Definitely championship or bust, man," Iverson said on The Stephen A. Smith Show. "I mean, (LeBron James) is the added piece we need. Obviously, you put him on any team, to me, you definitely have a chance (winning the NBA title)."

One of the biggest concerns heading to the 2026-27 season is the Sixers' chemistry. All four All-Stars are ball-dominant players. However, after NBA insider Shams Charania previously reported that Philly plans on letting LeBron play point guard, they're clearly trying to establish roles as early as now to address the potential chemistry issues.

It's safe to assume that if the 76ers find their rhythm and establish a solid flow early in the season, it could turn into scary hours for other teams in the league.