On paper, LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers have a tailor-made roster to run a championship this season. However, titles aren't earned on paper. When a revamped team comes together for one common goal, only a handful of players understand the hurdles that lead to a title as well as James. He's led three franchises to four titles throughout his future Hall of Fame career. And as 41-year-old LeBron enters his 24th NBA with the 76ers, his pursuit of a fifth could be his most daunting.

Ahead of their final preseason game on Friday, James provided an update on the 76ers' progress, per The Athletic's Tony Jones.

“Every day is getting better, and obviously … some days will be better than others,” James said. “But when I get to the facility, and when I get around these guys, it definitely helps. We have good energy and good spirit. Obviously, the basketball game, what it brings to all of us, is a sense of like togetherness and fun.

“It's fun to go to work.”

The 76ers are 1-2 in preseason play. Head coach Nick Nurse sat his veterans ahead of a 144-106 blowout loss against the Boston Celtics. But for a team full of All-Star talent, James has emphasized how Philly is training amid a near week-long break in the schedule before their preseason rematch with the Celtics.

“Obviously, this has been a small sample size for us, and we're still trying to learn each other on the floor,” James said. “We're still trying to put each other in a position to be successful and complement each other the best way we can. … It's going to take some time, and we know that.”

The 2026-27 76ers are spearheaded by LeBron James, All-Star guards Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown, and Joel Embiid. Second-year guard VJ Edgecombe is another vital piece to the squad. He's expected to take another stride in his growth in his sophomore season. Meanwhile, 76ers rookie guard Labaron Philon shared advice James gave him ahead of his first NBA season.

“He told me that I had to be myself,” Philon said. “I had a floater that was available to me, and I didn't take it. I needed to take it.”

Philon added 14 points, seven assists, two rebounds, and one steal off the bench for the Sixers in their road loss to the Celtics, as Jaylen Brown returned to TD Garden for the first time since joining the team over the summer.

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Coming off his surprising blockbuster trade from the Boston Celtics, the only team Brown's ever played for throughout his 10-year career, the 2024 Finals MVP says simplicity is important at this stage of the long NBA season.

“The key is getting the ball up the floor and kicking it ahead and playing the game the right way,” Brown said. “We want to run and fill the corners, and do the basic stuff. It seems like we have a really good group. We don't want to overcomplicate things. But the simple details are the most effective. We want to sprint to the corner and get our spacing and play the game the right way.”

No word on whether Nurse will unleash Brown against his former team for the first time on Friday. However, ahead of the 76ers' last preseason game, it would be fitting to see LeBron James, Embiid, Brown, and co. in their final dress rehearsal before Opening Night.