Father Time is the only undefeated person in history, including in the NBA. LeBron James has yet to accept defeat at the hands of this familiar foe. However, he's entering what will likely be the final two seasons of his career, and he's doing it with the Philadelphia 76ers. So, Coach Nick Nurse and the team led by Jaylen Brown are doing everything in their power to keep their veteran superstar from getting fatigued. This is why they have been pacing themselves to accommodate James during the NBA Preseason.
Why 76ers led by Brown and Coach Nurse are playing slow to accommodate James
24 years, that’s how long LeBron James has been playing. Many NBA players have only ever seen the league with LeBron James in it. Everyone wants to help prolong The King's reign with the 76ers. It all starts with fatigue and injury management. Obviously, Coach Nick Nurse cannot expect James to play at the same level he did with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers. As a result, they are easing up on his usage rate and the schemes he runs.
Those philosophies of not running James to the ground have been evident in the NBA Preseason. Ben Golliver of ESPN even outlined that this will likely be a recurring theme as the 76ers' regular season campaign goes on.
"Given James' age (41) and Joel Embiid's injury history (extensive), the Sixers are obviously more focused on April, May and June than October and November. Don't be surprised if Philadelphia's slow feel-out period continues into the regular season. James has a history of rough beginnings when he changes teams: The 2010-11 Heat started 9-8, the 2014-15 Cavaliers started 5-7, and the 2018-19 Lakers started 4-6. Of course, Miami and Cleveland went on to reach the NBA Finals, so it's probably best to reserve judgment on the 76ers until at least Thanksgiving," the NBA analyst wrote.
True enough, the 76ers and James still have a lot to adjust to. In his sole NBA Preseason game against the Brooklyn Nets, Coach Nurse gave James only 18.1 minutes. Despite the minutes restriction, the 41-year-old popped off with 10 points on 100% from the field and 100% from the line.
LeBron James 76ers preseason debut: 10 PTS, 4 REB, 5 AST, 1 STL, 1/1 FG, 8/8 FT vs Nets +10 in just 18 minutes of action 🔥 https://t.co/GLBoLcCky5
— Basketball Performances (@NBAPerformances) October 9, 2026Jaylen Brown and the 76ers can also still expect James to be a great all-around presence on the court. During the NBA Preseason, the veteran dropped five assists, grabbed four rebounds, and registered a steal against the Nets. His only major flaw was ball security, as shown by the two turnovers he committed.
Notably, this is the lowest point total James has averaged in any of his NBA Preseason stints. The decline has been very obvious. This is likely why Brown, Coach Nurse, and the 76ers will need to pace themselves around James.
On top of all of that, he also has chronic arthritis in his left foot, lower back pain, and right leg sciatica. That means the 76ers need to walk a tightrope when it comes to managing their superstar.
Hopefully, the 76ers can preserve James well enough that he still makes an All-Star selection and even pops off during the NBA Playoffs.
