The Philadelphia 76ers have been handed a surprisingly gentle opening to the 2026-27 NBA season, prompting accusations that the league is making things easier for the team. Radio host Monse Bolanos has even questioned whether LeBron James is part of the reason.
Philadelphia will not face its first Western Conference opponent until its 18th game, when the Portland Trail Blazers arrive. Its first trip to the West comes four games later against the Houston Rockets.
The Sixers also avoid a multi-game Western Conference road trip until Christmas, while having fewer three-games-in-four-nights stretches and fewer back-to-backs than any other team.
76ers schedule sparks accusations of NBA favouritism involving LeBron James
Speaking on The Odd Couple, Bolanos questioned why the NBA would supposedly want to make life easier for James and the Sixers.
‘Man, the favoritism is so real. It’s crazy. It seems: why is the NBA scared to let go of LeBron? I don’t know. “Cause that’s what it seems like, right?’ Bolanos said.
Her comments come despite the NBA showing it can still attract huge audiences without James at the centre of the story.
The 2026 NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs averaged 20.58 million viewers across five games, making it the league’s most-watched Finals series since 1998.
Bolanos believes that should give the NBA confidence to move forward rather than continue leaning on its biggest remaining star.
‘Like, why are they scared to let go, to move on? It is part of life,’ she added. ‘And at this point, it makes no sense because you said it perfectly in our pre-show meeting that I don’t know how much LeBron brings in positive stuff to the league in the last couple of years.’
There is also another part of the Sixers’ schedule that has caught attention.
Philadelphia is set to receive some of the league’s strongest national television exposure alongside San Antonio, while the Lakers and Knicks remain among the NBA’s biggest draws.
That combination has made the schedule particularly noticeable. The Sixers appear to have plenty of recovery time while also receiving a significant share of the national spotlight.
For now, there is nothing in the schedule itself that proves the NBA favoured Philadelphia or LeBron James. But with Joel Embiid also leading the Sixers, the unusually light workload has already given critics something to talk about before the season even begins.
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