Photo via CBS Sports

LeBron James explains why he doesn't want to play a 'sustainable role' at center for the 76ers

Following a Sunday defeat against the Detroit Pistons, Philadelphia 76s forward LeBron James addressed his brief stint handling center duties. With Joel Embiid sidelined due to plantar fasciitis and Ariel Hukporti out for the year with an Achilles tear, James stepped into the middle for fifty possessions during the franchise's initial loss of the 2026 campaign.

Despite possessing extensive lineup versatility, James rejected the idea of maintaining a regular assignment at the five position given the presence of an MVP teammate. Advanced metrics from Cleaning the Glass indicate these lineups yielded a negative ten net rating, reflecting historical trends where James at center produces strong offense alongside weak defensive output.

Up nextNBA· 14h ago

Luka Doncic is climbing the Lakers’ record books — and just passed LeBron James