When asked if Shaquille O'Neal -- James' teammate briefly on the 2009-10 Cleveland Cavaliers -- had some valuable things to tell him on his own journey that could be passed down to this generation of Sixers struggling to win a second playoff series, he said:
"I have a lot of experience in this game, obviously, so I hope I can bring that knowledge, bring that blueprint to the guys that's trying to accomplish things they haven't done in their careers," he said. "I've seen everything that this league has to offer on the floor and off the floor.
The message isn't just for Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and others. Apparently King James has something to offer the likes of new acquisition Jaylen Brown, a champion two Junes ago with the Boston Celtics.
"I hope that, every single day with my approach to the game, approach to the work, that it can translate to every single guy -- even the guys that's been able to win at the highest levels."
As far as being a lightning rod for criticism externally or a calm water internally whenever the club eventually goes through a rough stretch this upcoming season, James appeared to want to put himself at the center so his teammates could work through whatever issues arise.
"You never get too high, never get too low. Understand that the noise is gonna be the noise," he offered. "What happens outside this building is going to consistently happen and it's going to be doubled and tripled and quadrupled when I'm here."
Regarding the role he wants for himself, or that which he's discussed with head coach Nick Nurse and his staff, James gamely offered up his services as a Swiss Army knife. His quiet, veteran confidence was on full display in 10 words, with a knowing smile.
"The luxury of my game is, I can do everything," he said.
The 41-year-old native of Akron, Ohio has pretty much done everything one can think of during a career which spans three decades of the 21st century: 22-time NBA All-Star, 21-time All-NBA selection, 6-time All-NBA defensive player, 4-time league MVP, 4-time NBA champion, 2003-04 Rookie of the Year, one of the best of the league's 75-year history and more which true fans could rattle off at the snap of a finger which I don't care to address in this piece.
It's the 4-time NBA champion that will be the thrust of James' work both on and off the court for however long he lasts in Philadelphia. James has won once with Cleveland, twice with Miami and once with the Lakers. The Sixers, however, not including Brown, haven't advanced past the second round of the playoffs in 25 years, when the franchise led by Allen Iverson, lost to Shaq's Lakers.
And so maybe take the second knuckle out of your mouth when James talked about still "loving the process" of preparing to play each season. He said he will never get tired of putting in the work -- a word he said more than 20 times in a 17-minute interview -- claiming it is part of his DNA. He also said he won't miss the sacrifices inherent in playing one place while his children are scattered in age and location.
On Embiid, James said it was a little premature to make any judgments or statements about his role as a mentor since it was his first day within the confines of the organization but he admitted he was "looking forward to seeing what his process is."
James was also looking forward to seeing how Embiid himself defines his pathway to becoming the best version of himself and the best version he can be for the Sixers, given his largest obstacle to both has been nagging injuries which slowed him down and affected how the team performed.
"As an elder statesman of the team, as a guy who's been through a lot, hopefully I can give him resources and whatever he needs on a day-to-day basis to make him feel more and more comfortable about where he is, where we are, as a team."
To view James' full remarks from earlier today, bang the link.
