Philadelphia 76ers

Jared McCain did not have much difficulty in recruiting Bronny James for a viral TikTok.

During an appearance on Podcast P with Paul George Presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment, the Philadelphia 76ers first-round pick discussed making a TikTok with the Los Angeles Lakers rookie when they were at the McDonald's High School All-American Game:

"It was pretty easy," McCain said. "I had it all set up and then he knew the dance. I said 'do you want to be in this one?' and he said 'yeah,' so it was kind of simple. It takes like five seconds, people think it takes all day."

McCain has amassed 3.7 million followers on the platform, but his skills on the basketball court are also very notable. The 76ers selected him with the No. 16 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft after one season with the Duke Blue Devils.

At Duke, he averaged 14.3 points, five rebounds and 1.9 assists in 36 games. He was named ACC All-Freshan and NCAA All-Region after helping lead the Blue Devils to the Elite Eight.

He will play alongside George in Philadelphia as the 76ers look to improve after a first-round exit in the 2023-24 postseason.

James was selected by the Lakers with the No. 55 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and will form the first father-son duo in NBA history with his dad, 20-time All-Star LeBron James. He averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 assists and 2.1 assists in 25 games for the USC Trojans in 2023-24.

McCain and James will face off twice in 2024-25, the first of which comes on Nov. 8.

Philadelphia 76ers first-round pick Jared McCain has become as famous for his TikToks as what he does on the court.

But that, of course, comes with a side of negative energy. McCain appeared on Paul George's Podcast P with Paul George Presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment on Monday and spoke on the attention and criticisms he's received for his social media presence and other mannerisms (5:50 mark):

At first, it was tough. Because I was like, I'm just trying to spread positivity. People are hating, saying everything to me. At games, it was crazy. But at a certain point I'm just like they're either insecure about themselves or just projecting something, maybe they're hiding, whatever, something about themselves. And they're just trying to throw an opinion out to get a reaction out of you, that's all they want. I've got to tell my parents, like they want to respond more than I do. And I gotta tell them, like, 'No, just chill. Just chill.' You get used to it at a certain point. I didn't really like how people talk about [painting my nails] and TikToks more than basketball. I've done basketball since I was three years old. I do this stuff on the side, obviously it's got me where I'm at today. But when they try to overshadow my hard work in basketball just by saying the TikTok and the nails, that's when I hate it.

McCain, 20, will be fighting for a rotation spot this season on the revamped Sixers, who also added players like George, Caleb Martin, Eric Gordon, Andre Drummond, Reggie Jackson and Guerschon Yabusele while re-signing Tyrese Maxey, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Kyle Lowry.

Minutes may be tough to come by, given the team's glut of guards, but McCain's shooting, defensive tenacity and secondary playmaking should bode well in those efforts.

One of the breakout stars of the men's basketball tournament at the 2024 Olympics is headed back to the NBA.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Yabusele and the Philadelphia 76ers agreed to terms on a one-year, $2.1 million minimum deal on Sunday.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium first reported the sides were nearing an agreement.

While Yabusele previously played in the NBA, he returned to the spotlight among American fans this summer while helping lead France to a silver medal. The host nation battled the United States in a tightly contested gold-medal game before Stephen Curry's three-point barrage decided it.

Curry wasn't the only one who turned heads in that contest, though, as Yabusele threw down a monster dunk over LeBron James:

Yabusele ended up averaging 14 points per game for France during the Olympics, and plays like the dunk over James surely caught the eye of the NBA world.

He indicated that he was ready to take advantage of that increased attention:

The forward first entered the NBA as the No. 16 overall pick of the 2016 NBA draft and appeared in 74 total games for the Boston Celtics. He was never more than an ancillary contributor and averaged 2.3 points, 1.4 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game while shooting 44.2 percent from the field and 32.3 percent from deep.

Yabusele hasn't appeared in an NBA game since the 2018-19 campaign, although he has played internationally and impressed at the Olympics.

Philadelphia has several impact wing players on the roster, including Paul George, Kelly Oubre, Caleb Martin, Jared McCain and Eric Gordon. Still, there may be room at the power forward position for Yabusele to play his way into a role in the rotation.

If nothing else, he's joining a contender as someone who can provide a spark off the bench.

The Philadelphia 76ers entered this offseason singing a familiar, and unhappy, tune.

Yet again, the Sixers were coming off a disappointing early playoff exit. Yet again, Joel Embiid's health played a huge role in the team not making a deeper run. And yet again, there was major question marks about the roster around Embiid.

But the summer brought instant optimism and hope.

Paul George signed a massive four-year, $211.5 million contract. Tyrese Maxey stuck around on a five-year, $203.8 million deal. The Sixers rounded out the supporting cast by adding players like Caleb Martin, Andre Drummond, Eric Gordon and Reggie Jackson in free agency, re-signed Kelly Oubre Jr. and Kyle Lowry and drafted Jared McCain.

Suddenly, the Sixers looked like legitimate threats to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference. Below, we'll break down the schedule they'll face as they look to finally get Embiid past the second round.

2024-25 76ers Schedule Details

Season Opener: Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 7:30 p.m. ET vs. Milwaukee Bucks

Championship Odds: +900 (bet $100 to win $900), per FanDuel

Full Schedule: The full schedule is available on NBA.com.

Top Matchups

Boston Celtics

The Eastern Conference runs through Boston, and the Celtics have given the Sixers fits over the years, knocking them out of the playoffs three times in the Embiid era. The Sixers have long struggled to match the wing play of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, though having George will help in that regard.

The Sixers do possess something few other teams have when facing Boston—a legitimate matchup issue for the Celtics. Embiid is a tough cover for Boston, able to bully Kristaps Porziņģis down low and well past his previous struggles against Al Horford.

The Sixers also boast arguably better depth than Boston, though these matchups will ultimately come down to the play of the stars. This longtime rivalry has the potential to be a preview of this season's Eastern Conference Finals.

New York Knicks

The Knicks eliminated the Sixers in the first round of the playoffs last year, one of the best series in the entire postseason. New York then became the de facto top challenger for the Celtics after re-signing OG Anunoby and trading for Mikal Bridges, though the George signing ultimately overshadowed those moves.

The Sixers, Celtics, Knicks and possibly Milwaukee Bucks look like the strongest contenders to jockey for the top overall seed in the playoffs, and Philadelphia and New York in particular benefit from a rowdy home-court advantage.

That will make these matchups particularly interesting, and important, as the regular season progresses, with both teams looking to host as many playoff series as possible.

Season Forecast

On paper, the Sixers look like one of the best teams in basketball. A few practical realities could stand in their way, however.

The most obvious one is the health of both Embiid and George, two players who have struggled with injuries in their past. Getting them each to the postseason, healthy, will be the biggest key to Philly achieving its lofty ambitions.

But it also takes time for newly constructed teams to acclimate and jell. Embiid and Maxey already form a superb two-man game, and in theory George is the sort of versatile, scheme-agnostic weapon who should blend in perfectly.

Still, it will take time to work out the kinks. The Sixers added a lot of new faces this offseason. Finding the best rotations will be a major task for Nick Nurse.

The Sixers legitimately have a championship ceiling with this roster. Maximizing the opportunity is another battle entirely.

Prediction: 55-27

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid was honored by his home country of Cameroon with the Medal of Commander of the Order of Valor after winning an Olympic gold medal with Team USA.

Per TMZ Sports, Cameroonian president Paul Biya gave Embiid the honor, which is awarded to people who make "exceptional contributions in the fields of arts, science, agriculture, commerce, or industry."

Embiid was born in Cameroon and lived there until he was 16, when he moved to the United States to pursue a basketball career.

As a pro, Embiid has made seven All-Star games and earned the 2022-23 NBA MVP. He's also a two-time scoring champion who has guided Philadelphia to seven postseasons.

Embiid had the option to represent Cameroon, the United States or France but ultimately chose the USA.

The Americans went 6-0 in the Olympics, capping their gold medal run with a 98-87 victory over host country France.

After winning a gold medal at the Paris Olympics with Team USA, star center Joel Embiid received a surprise when he returned home.

Skechers gifted Embiid a pair of special edition sneakers to honor his first career Olympic gold medal:

In April, Skechers signed Embiid to a multiyear endorsement deal to make him the "face of the company's basketball division."

Embiid averaged 11.2 points and 3.8 rebounds during Team USA's march to the gold medal. His best performance came in a semifinal matchup against a Serbia team led by reigning three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic when he scored 19 points to help lead Team USA to a comeback victory.

The 30-year-old will now turn his attention to leading the Philadelphia 76ers to title contention this year.

It can be expected that Embiid will be donning his new signature shoes from Skechers when the 2024-25 season begins this fall.

Christmas Day is one of the most exciting days of the NBA season, and we now know which teams will face off on Dec. 25.

Per The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania, the Los Angeles Lakers vs. the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics vs. the Philadelphia 76ers will highlight this year's NBA Christmas Day games. Other matchups include the New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs, Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets vs. Phoenix Suns.

LeBron James vs. Steph Curry became a staple of NBA Christmas games for a while, as the two faced off for four straight years from 2016 to 2019. Now, five years later, the two legends will square off again in what is sure to be an exciting game.

The Celtics will take on one of their divisional rivals, the 76ers, and will look to get a statement win before the playoff race picks up. Assuming both teams stay healthy, the Christmas Day matchup could be an Eastern Conference Finals preview, as both teams figure to be contenders this year.

The Knicks vs. Spurs should be an enticing matchup, though there isn't much of a rivalry between the two squads. Jalen Brunson and New York are hoping to continue their momentum after a big year, and getting a win on Christmas could give them some added confidence. The game will also be the first of likely many Christmas Day showings for rising star Victor Wembanyama.

Minnesota vs. Dallas made for an exciting Western Conference Finals last season, and a matchup on Christmas Day should bring a similar intensity. The two squads could very well square off again in this year's conference finals, so the Christmas Day game could serve as an early look at how things could go later in the year.

The same can be said for the Denver vs. Phoenix matchup. Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and the Suns are looking for redemption after last year's first-round exit, while the Nuggets are hoping to once again compete for a title. The two teams' matchup on Christmas Day should be an interesting one.

The Philadelphia 76ers are reportedly interested in potentially acquiring either Marcus Morris or Dāvis Bertāns for their 14th roster spot, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The Sixers don't appear to have a true power forward on the roster and likely will surround Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George with either wings or guards. Caleb Martin and Kelly Oubre Jr. are strong candidates to start, though Kyle Lowry could be paired in the backcourt with Maxey like he was during the postseason.

Both Morris and Bertāns would address a lack of 4s. The former would bring toughness and defense alongside the ability to score in isolation, though he averaged just 6.4 points per game last season between the Sixers and Cleveland Cavaliers.

He also apparently has a long list of suitors. Pompey reported that the Cavs, Charlotte Hornets, Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, New Orleans Pelicans and Minnesota Timberwolves "have shown interest."

Bertāns likely will have less of a market, though he remains a solid three-point shooter, hitting on 38 percent of his shots from beyond the arc last season for the Thunder and Hornets. He doesn't offer much beyond the ability to space the floor, however, though in a reserve role that's less of a liability.

Kiyan Anthony, son of NBA legend Carmelo Anthony, has an extremely high opinion of Paul George.

Appearing on the 7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony and Kid Mero a Wave Sports + Entertainment Original (starts at 8:30 mark), Kiyan explained that George belongs in the NBA GOAT conversation because there's a "smoothness" to his game that is easy to watch.

"I like seeing him get a bucket," Anthony said. "I feel like it's different than the way everybody else get a bucket."

George isn't a player whose name often appears in the discussion about the very best NBA players of all time. He's certainly among the top players of this generation and will undoubtedly end up in the Hall of Fame when his career ends.

Heading into his 15th season in 2024-25, George has made the All-Star team nine times, All-NBA team six times and All-Defensive team four times. He's been one of the better shooting wings in the league with a 39.2 percent success rate from behind the three-point line since the 2015-16 season.

George also has a skill set that can adapt to various styles. He played more off the ball for the Los Angeles Clippers last season after they acquired James Harden to be their point guard.

It's not always a flashy style of play that gets on highlight reels, but George has been one of the most reliable two-way players in the league for most of his career.

Given how Kiyan's father embraced a style that was built on being a master of the mid-range, it's not a surprise that the 17-year-old would be drawn to watching someone who is fundamentally sound.

Kiyan Anthony will showcase his skills at the college level starting with the 2025-26 season. He is going into his senior year at Long Island Lutheran High School this fall.