Sports

Jason Kidd admits LeBron James joining the 76ers immediately makes them contenders

Nairavoice · Sep 1, 2026 · 2 min read

Jason Kidd admits LeBron James joining the 76ers immediately makes them contenders originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The 2026 offseason has been filled with blockbuster moves, but nothing could beat the Philadelphia 76ers convincing LeBron James that they are the best team for him.

They started the summer with a core of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe, and Paul George. Now, they will enter the 2026-27 season with LeBron and Jaylen Brown instead of George. That is a big deal for any team, but it proves that Philly is ready for the next step with this new core group.

Jason Kidd believes LeBron James instantly makes the 76ers contenders

As a former peer and coach of LeBron, Jason Kidd is quite familiar with the King. While James is 41 now, he still has a massive impact on the league, and that is just a testament to his ability and longevity. Over the years, James has been a consistent winner, and Kidd believes in the pedigree being a big deal.

The 76ers have one of the most stacked rosters in the league because beyond their core group, they have an impressive bench. Players like Anfernee Simons, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Adem Bona are all ready to contribute to a title challenge.

MORE: Jaylen Brown has revealed that he is working hard with his new teammates during the offseason

Kidd sees this as a team that could potentially win the championship. They have a high ceiling because of the talent on the roster, and a winning head coach like Nick Nurse. However, Kidd does boil it down to LeBron’s presence.

“LeBron going to Philly automatically puts Philly in the talks of winning a championship. They could be the best team in the East. That’s just him at the age of 42. He still has that power… Philly has a young backcourt that’s very exciting to watch in Maxey and VJ. I think they’re the team that’s the move,” Kidd said to Naveen Ganglani of ALL-STAR Magazine.

The logic makes sense because LeBron does have a winning pedigree. He could make an impact, even if he is not the leading scorer anymore. James might be 41 now, and he will turn 42 in the middle of the season, but he is still an impactful player who is hungry for his fifth ring.