Nick Nurse was surprised to hear the reports about Joel Embiid because they didn’t match what he had seen from his star center.
A report that LeBron James had called out Embiid for arriving late to a 76ers practice quickly spread after Knicks broadcaster Mike Breen mentioned the incident during Philadelphia’s preseason game against New York.
James quickly denied it, writing on Instagram, “He ain’t been late, so stop the lies.”
Breen later apologized, saying he believed James and accepted that the incident had not happened.
But it was Nurse’s reaction that perhaps best summed up how little the story resembled what was happening inside the Sixers’ training camp.
“I’m just surprised by what I was told before and what you guys are asking me about, because he’s been excellent,” Nurse said.
“He’s in great shape, he’s been on the practice floor. He’s worked very hard and he looks really great.
“So it just surprises me that something like that came out right now.”
The comments are significant given the questions that have surrounded Embiid’s availability and preparation in recent seasons.
Instead, Nurse has seen a player who has been fully engaged with the team as Philadelphia begins its first season with a new-look superstar core featuring Embiid, James and Jaylen Brown.
Neither James, Embiid nor Tyrese Maxey played in the Knicks game. Nurse said he plans to play his intended regular-season rotation in two of Philadelphia’s remaining three preseason games, starting Thursday on the road against the Nets, while hinting at a possible LeBron preseason debut.
“We should be able to get the majority of the guys out there,” Nurse said of the Nets game.