LeBron James walked into Madison Square Garden and got a response he couldn’t miss.
New York Knicks fans let him hear it as the veteran star dealt with a hostile atmosphere in the season-opening matchup, with the crowd making its stance loud and clear. The noise only intensified once James went to the free-throw line.
SNY’s Ian Begley reported that “We don’t want you!” chants from the MSG crowd “picked up a lot of steam with LeBron James at the foul line.”
The target of the crowd’s frustration wasn’t limited to James. Knicks fans also started chanting “F**k Embiid” toward Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, adding another layer to an already charged night between Eastern Conference rivals.
James’ history with New York makes the reception stand out even more. Before picking Philadelphia, he said he had imagined himself playing at Madison Square Garden and ending his career there, calling it one of the best places for a basketball player.
“I had visions of playing in [Madison Square] Garden and finishing my career in the Garden,” James said during the 76ers’ media day, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “One of the best places I’ve ever played.”
The Knicks’ championship run changed that conversation, though. New York won the title without James, and he admitted it would have been a tough sell to join the reigning champs after that.
“Y’all wouldn’t have let me lay that down, at all,” he said.
The message from the Garden crowd was unmistakable, and James once again found himself at the center of the kind of attention that follows him everywhere he goes.
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