LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey already working out together
TLDR: The 76ers' new-look core is putting in offseason reps together while Shaq sets a championship-or-bust bar and ticket prices go nuts.
It's still August, but the Sixers' new Big 3 isn't waiting for training camp. LeBron James, Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey were spotted grinding through an early-morning workout together, and the internet lost its mind almost instantly.
The fact this trio exists at all is still kind of wild. Philly traded Paul George and a haul of picks to Boston for Brown, then turned around and landed LeBron on a two-year, $8 million deal — reportedly the largest pay cut in NBA history for him. Add that to a roster that already had Maxey, Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe, and the Sixers went from playoff hopeful to a team nobody wants to see in April.
Naturally, the first question is who's taking the last shot. Maxey addressed the pecking order directly, and his answer was less about hierarchy and more about ego management on a roster stacked with hardware.
Tyrese Maxey to HoopsHype: "Nobody on this team can have an ego. We have two guys that have won regular-season MVPs, two guys that have won Finals MVPs (...) We're all pretty accomplished. So the ego has to drop and you have to do it collectively."
"Nobody on this team can have an ego," Maxey said, pointing out the group includes multiple regular-season MVPs, Finals MVPs and gold medalists. "So the ego has to drop and you have to do it collectively." It's the right answer, and also the only answer — you don't get to have four alphas and a functioning offense unless everyone buys in.
Shaq isn't interested in patience, though. Asked about expectations for LeBron's first season in Philly, O'Neal didn't hedge at all.
"Championship or bust." —@SHAQ on his expectations for the Sixers this year after acquiring LeBron James and Jaylen Brown 👀
"Championship or bust" is a lot to put on a 41-year-old in a new system, but that's the price of assembling this much star power in one building. And Philly fans are already paying literal prices for it — according to TickPick, the cheapest ticket to the Sixers' home opener jumped from $68 last year to $565 this year, a 731% increase tied directly to the LeBron signing.
THE LEBRON EFFECT IS REAL 👑 Just look at what happened to the price of tickets for the Sixers' home opener. According to TickPick, the cheapest available for 2025 was $68. For 2026? $565. That's a staggering 731% increase 😳 And the reason is obvious: LeBron James is now a Sixer. But he's not the only major addition. Philadelphia also acquired Jaylen Brown, giving the team another superstar alongside LeBron and Joel Embiid as they aim for a deep playoff run. With that kind of firepower, the Sixers should be among the NBA's title contenders. And the schedule has some fascinating matchups in store: 🔥 vs. Knicks: Philadelphia gets an early test against the defending champions. 🔥 vs. Celtics: Jaylen Brown faces his former team, adding another layer to one of the East's biggest rivalries. The Sixers haven't even played a game yet, but LeBron's arrival has already transformed demand for their tickets. Philadelphia basketball just got VERY expensive 💰
None of it means anything until games actually count, obviously. But between the gym sessions, the quotes about ego and the ticket market treating opening night like a heavyweight fight, Philadelphia hasn't felt like this since Embiid's MVP peak — and now he's got a lot more help.