LeBron James’ Sixers home debut was ‘everything that I’ve dreamed of — and more’
The Sixers' 114-106 win over the Cavs on Thursday had the full James experience, from the frenzy of the crowd during his introduction to his wide-ranging impact on the box score.
LeBron James walked into the 76ers’ locker room at 6:06 p.m. Thursday, with four ESPN camera crew members trailing behind. James slipped on a pair of white headphones and began singing along to the “forever ever, forever ever” line from Kanye West’s song “Diamonds from Sierra Leone.”
He then stepped back out into an Xfinity Mobile Arena bowl with palpable energy typically reserved for playoff games. The next three-plus hours featured the full experience of James as a basketball legend and mainstream international celebrity in his regular-season home debut as a Sixer.
The pre-tipoff chalk toss. Being asked to comment on criticism from President Donald Trump (“Must be a slow news day at the office”) and how seriously he weighed finishing his career with another return to his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers before choosing the Sixers (“A lot of consideration, for sure”).
» READ MORE: Sixers beat Cavaliers, 114-106, after trailing by 29 points in wild home opener
And his wide-ranging impact on the box score — 17 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, three steals — and as a leader in the Sixers’ thrilling rally from a 29-point first-half deficit to win, 114-106, in the largest comeback of James’ historic 24-year career.
“It was everything that I’ve dreamed of — and more,” James said from his locker after the game. “Got the boos. That was amazing. We deserved it. And then we got the cheers and almost blew the roof off this thing tonight, in a good way. That was a hell of a night.”
It was symbolic (and deliberate) scheduling that James’ first regular-season game in Philly came against the Cleveland, where he spent his first seven NBA seasons and returned to win the 2016 championship. When James picked the Sixers’ loaded roster over another Cavaliers reunion as a free agent in July, Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson acknowledged prior to Thursday’s game that “that first day or two, you’re depressed, honestly. That’s the emotions of it.”
Then those teams took the floor inside what Sixers coach Nick Nurse and standout second-year guard VJ Edgecombe called perhaps the loudest atmosphere they have experienced in their home arena. Joel Embiid, who has spent all 11 years of his career with the Sixers, even put the crowd in his personal top five — and acknowledged a significant part of that was due to James’ debut. Fans burst into cheers when a shot of James opened their intro video. And when the all-timer popped on the video board during the national anthem. And, of course, when he hoisted the chalk into the air.
In the game’s opening minutes, James hit a fading three-pointer and dished a bounce pass to Edgecombe for a finish at the rim. But he also was part of the Sixers’ first-half issues with turnovers (he committed five of his team’s 14) and shooting (2-of-6 from the floor) that dug their humungous hole.
Then, James helped spearhead his new team’s massive turnaround by relentlessly attacking the basket.
He was all over the Sixers’ 9-0 surge out of the break to cut a 24-point deficit to 13 in less than two minutes. He found Edgecombe for a cutting layup, then converted his own fastbreak finish through contact, then fed Embiid for a bucket inside. In nine third-quarter minutes, James amassed 10 points, three assists, and two rebounds.
» READ MORE: Hayes: LeBron James has finally made the Sixers a serious basketball team after a 29-point comeback in his home debut
In the fourth quarter, James took a rebound all the way to the opposite end of the court, and rolled his shoulders forward upon drawing a foul. Later, he picked up a loose ball for a possession that ended in a Jaylen Brown layup to give the Sixers a 110-102 lead with 44 seconds remaining.
“He’s been in a situation like that before,” Edgecombe said of James. “He was vocal the whole time, and obviously he kind of willed us.”
Edgecombe also felt the physical impact of James, by taking an inadvertent elbow to the face from the 41-year-old that, nearly two hours after the final buzzer, still required cotton stuffed up his nostril to stop the bleeding. And All-NBA guard Tyrese Maxey, one of James’ longtime offseason workout partners, is now learning what it is like to communicate with him in-game as teammates.
When asked about that early dynamic, Maxey paused and said, “He’s played a lot of basketball. A lot of basketball.”
“I always will go up to him and ask him what he sees,” Maxey said. “Or he’ll ask me what I see, and we just kind of piggyback off of each other, trying to lead the group.”
Thursday was the Sixers’ second supercharged environment in as many games, after also spoiling the New York Knicks’ championship ring night on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden. It is reasonable to expect that to continue as they move through the season as arguably the league’s most intriguing team, with James at the helm. The Sixers should view that as a positive challenge, James said, because opponents “are going to get up to play us because of all the names on our backs, and we’re trying to build something special here.”
They have begun this chaotic journey 2-0. After Thursday’s comeback, James expressed gratitude “to do what I love and be well-received.” In Philly, which he called “one of the best sports cities in the world.” With “these boys in the locker room.” And in front of his daughter, Zhuri, who celebrated her 12th birthday by sitting courtside next to Allen Iverson.
“That was super cool, man,” said James, who snuck a few words in with Zhuri from the court during stoppages in play. “ … Super special for me to be able to have moments like that in this building, in this city.”
Then, it was on to the next. James collected his belongings from his locker, and turned toward his security personnel.
“Let’s get out of here,” James said. “We’ve got a bird [helicopter] to catch.”
Beat reporters Gina Mizell and Chris Hine break down their most intriguing quotes from LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey during the preseason, along with what they most hope to learn about this revamped roster during the first month of the season. Watch here.
Watch the full interview below and subscribe to the Sixers Extra podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
