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LeBron James’ agent, Rich Paul, recently sat down to record an episode of the ‘Game Over’ podcast with Max Kellerman, where he spoke about the 41-year-old 76ers veteran’s future with Team USA and also addressed Joel Embiid’s allegedly problematic work ethic. Here’s a transcript of their discussion to give you a clear idea of what Rich Paul was trying to say. Kellerman: “Should LeBron be done playing for the US National Team?” Paul: “Yes!” Kellerman: “He’ll legit be what-44?” Paul: “Yes. Yeah, he should be done. But the question you should be asking is if he should be around the team in any capacity. Then with a basketball mind like that, if I’m the USA Basketball Team, then I want Kevin Durant around, I want LeBron around, I want Steph around. And if AD doesn’t play, I want him around my bigs, for sure.” Kellerman: “That reminds me of something else I heard and wanted to talk about… LeBron’s influence on the Olympics team. I think Scal was talking about Embiid when he was on the Olympic team… When the best players get together, everyone’s got the cars, watches, and money.” “They compete and press each other by seeing who works the hardest. But that was not Embiid, from what Scal was hearing. Isn’t that a problem for the Sixers? And does LeBron get on to fix that?” Paul: “No, I’ve heard nothing but great things about Joel this summer. I heard he’s been in the best shape, and he’s been healthy all summer. What Scal is saying (about how the best players compete) is the case. I’ve been around tons of USA Teams, and I don’t think that is the case (with Joel Embiid and the 76ers’ expectations from LeBron James).” In essence, Paul indicated that while LeBron James’ playing career with Team USA is most likely over, he could join them in the 2028 Olympics in a mentorship or a coaching capacity. So we may see him alongside Kevin Durant in some capacity with Team USA in the future. Meanwhile, he said he hadn’t heard any such questions about Joel Embiid’s work ethic during his stint with Team USA in 2024, and even if he had, LeBron James isn’t expected to come in and help Joel Embiid suddenly develop a work ethic if he didn’t have one. Joel Embiid’s history of injuries and medical setbacks is well known. He has missed more regular season games in his career (495) than he has played (490) in his 12-year NBA career so far. So it is natural for people to be worried about his health. But his work ethic shouldn’t be in question here, since he has previously won the MVP award, and that doesn’t happen without season-long consistency in effort. If anything, LeBron James’s familiarity playing with Joel Embiid from the Olympics run should make fans even more optimistic about the team. Hence, we could expect LeBron James to be part of the 2028 Team USA contingent in some capacity other than playing. But James certainly no longer has concerns about Joel Embiid’s work ethic.