LeBron James gave Philadelphia a first real taste of what life might look like with him in a 76ers uniform, and the moment that landed hardest was the simplest one: a sprinting connection with Tyrese Maxey and a two-handed dunk that brought a preseason crowd to its feet.
Maxey flipped a half-court lob toward James, who tracked it down, secured it and finished at the rim in a flash. The 19,746 fans inside the building - a sellout for the final preseason game - erupted, and James delivered the familiar chalk toss before taking in the ovation Friday night in his first preseason appearance in Philadelphia.
The 41-year-old, now in his NBA-record 24th season after joining the 76ers this summer, finished with eight points and eight rebounds in a 125-120 overtime loss to the Boston Celtics. But the dunk, set up by a close friend he has pointed to as a major factor in his decision to sign with Philadelphia, was the play that turned the night into a preview of what this partnership could become.
"This is a connection that we have," James said. "Some of the best things for us offensively is going to be to get up the floor."
James also drew attention simply by moving through the pregame routine. Public address announcer Matt Cord greeted him with a loud "At 6-9, from St.
Vincent-St. Mary's, No.
23, LeBron James! James!"
and the home crowd responded with a roar. Joel Embiid still received the final introduction.
Since signing with the Sixers in July, James has become a magnet for fans eager to see him in the No. 23 jersey. Kids crowded the entrance area, calling for autographs and photos, while arena ushers kept urging people to move along.
"You can't stand here unless you've got a ticket!"
James eventually paused to bring one boy and one girl over to the bench area for a quick picture after his shooting work.
The buzz around him has not been limited to game night. He has also been traveling by helicopter after practice from the Sixers’ New Jersey facility to a helipad in New York, and the noise has already become part of the team’s daily backdrop. When asked about it, James brushed it off with a smile.
"I've done it before," James said. "Just another way of transportation. That's all."
On the floor, Philadelphia had most of its regulars available, with VJ Edgecombe the lone starter out. Jaylen Brown scored 20 points in his first game against the Celtics since the 2024 NBA Finals MVP was traded to the Sixers in the offseason.
"I played there for 10 years, so it will never be out of the way," Brown said.
James had sat out the Sixers’ home preseason opener, though he did appear in a public scrimmage that drew 10,000 fans. He then made his preseason debut last week at Brooklyn and put up 10 points, five assists and four rebounds in the first half.
Philadelphia now turns to the real thing. The Sixers open the season Tuesday against New York at Madison Square Garden, where the Knicks will raise their championship banner, and then come home Thursday to face Cleveland before a back-to-back over the weekend.
For James, the message after this latest tune-up was straightforward. The pieces are still settling, and the rhythm is not there yet, but there is something to work with.
"We're getting there," James said. "We're a couple of weeks in.
We're still working on our rhythm, working on our kinks. It's not going to be perfect.
Obviously, we're just getting together, so it's not going to be perfect. But we've got some things we can build on."
In Other News...
Sixers Still Have One Preseason Question Before Celtics Tuneup
The final preseason stop comes Friday night in South Philadelphia, where the 76ers will get one more look at themselves against the Celtics before the games start to count. Nick Nurse has said he plans to run out his first-choice starting lineup, a useful chance to sharpen the rotation and see how the group responds against a familiar East opponent after what has been a relatively healthy training camp.
Two players will sit this one out, with Anfernee Simons and Adem Bona ruled out because of injuries even though both have been taking part in practice. For a team trying to build rhythm and settle its opening-night look, the bigger issue now is less about who is unavailable and more about whether this group can leave the preseason with the right feel heading into the regular-season opener. [Read more 🡒]
76ers Suddenly Have A Center Chance They May Need To Act On
The 76ers center depth took another hit with Ariel Hukportis injury, and that has put some urgency on a familiar front office question: how to patch the back end of the roster without overcommitting. Torontos decision to waive two-way center Trey Jemison III has created one possible answer, since he is now available to any team looking for a bigger body and a little NBA mileage.
Philadelphia is weighing whether to claim Jemison or use its last two-way slot on him, a move that would at least give the team another option in the middle as it tries to survive the early stretch. Jemison has bounced around the league and has size and experience, but the appeal comes with the usual caveat for a player in his position: the 76ers would be betting on depth first, with his consistency and longer-term upside still very much open to question. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers Fans Will Have Strong Feelings About VJ Edgecombes Priorities
VJ Edgecombes priorities have already drawn attention before his first season has fully settled into the bigger picture around the 76ers. The young guard said representing the Bahamas at the Olympics would mean more to him than winning an NBA championship, pointing to the chance to help his country reach a stage it has never reached in Olympic mens basketball. For a player just beginning his pro journey, it was a candid answer that spoke as much to identity and heritage as it did to basketball ambition.
Jason Williams, though, was not having it, arguing that players in the league should place the organization paying their salary above anything else. It is the kind of comment that tends to hit a nerve with Philadelphia fans, who expect total commitment and are already learning what makes Edgecombe tick. The tension here is less about whether he cares about winning than about where he sees his greatest responsibility, and that debate figures to follow him as his profile grows. [Read more 🡒]