Jaylen Brown & Tyrese Maxey React After LeBron James Joins 76ers

The LeBron James 2026 free agency saga has finally reached its much-awaited conclusion. The 41-year-old star has decided to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers, which is the final stop of his illustrious NBA career.

Understandably, two of his new teammates were hyped to see the four-time NBA MVP join them. Both Jaylen Brown, who was recently traded from the Boston Celtics, and Tyrese Maxey immediately reacted to the news on social media.

The 2024 Finals MVP opted for a more restrained, quieter response to James' signing.

He went on X (formerly Twitter), where he shared a post that couldn't even be considered a full sentence. Instead, he went with a four-word hashtag.

"#throwtheballup," Brown tweeted.

Meanwhile, Maxey posted a clip that showed more excitement and more jubilation regarding James' decision.

Via a post on his Instagram Stories, the two-time NBA All-Star seemingly compared himself to John Calipari, his coach at Kentucky and one of the best college basketball recruiters of all time.

"I'm like Coach Cal," Maxey wrote on his IG Stories post while visibly being hyped regarding the Sixers' newest acquisition.

Maxey and Brown together are already a formidable duo.

Before he was traded to the Sixers this summer, Brown had just played his best season yet. Last season, he posted a career-high 28.7 points and 5.1 assists per game. He also led the Boston Celtics to 56 wins despite many expecting a quiet year from them.

Maxey, meanwhile, is one of the fastest-rising stars in the league. Across the board, his stats have steadily climbed every season. Last year, he averaged 28.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.9 steals, which are all career-highs.

V.J. Edgecombe is also a player to watch out for on the Sixers roster. He entered the league as the 3rd overall pick in the 2025 draft, and as a rookie, he already had a huge impact.

Through 75 games in his maiden season, he put up 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.4 steals.

Many already expected him to get even better in his sophomore year, and now, he'll be mentored by both Brown and James.

LeBron James Wasn't Considering the Sixers Before Jaylen Brown Trade

For the last few seasons, the Philadelphia 76ers were considered a playoff team but not a championship contender. They had the pieces to secure a postseason berth, but were not at the top of any lists when discussing potential champions.

That changed this summer, when they traded Paul George and draft assets to the Boston Celtics for Jaylen Brown.

This particular transaction suddenly raised the expectation for the Sixers, placing them among the top teams with championship potential.

It was also the move that ultimately led them to secure a two-year, $8 million deal with LeBron James. According to Insider Shams Charania on First Take, Philadelphia was but a blip to the four-time champion before the Brown trade.

"Philadelphia, I'm telling you, was not even on this radar, was not in the pool of candidates and Bob Myers went out and got Jaylen Brown," Charania said.

He added that, of course, James took his time in deciding. The Sixers weren't his automatic choice, and over the past few weeks, he and his camp deliberated which team was best positioned to secure a championship.

After some time, he finally chose the Sixers because he believes this team offers his best chance of winning a fifth title.