LeBron James made his preseason debut for the Philadelphia 76ers in Philadelphia, delivering eight points and eight rebounds in front of a sellout crowd of 19,746 fans against the Boston Celtics on Friday, October 16, 2026. The Associated Press reported that James was introduced to a roaring ovation and performed his signature chalk toss before highlighting the night with a two-handed slam dunk off a midcourt lob from guard Tyrese Maxey. The game ended in a 125-120 overtime victory for Boston.
Philadelphia Welcomes a Legend
Entering his 24th NBA season—an all-time league record—the 41-year-old James joined the 76ers during the summer on a two-year contract after spending the previous eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Associated Press noted that fans lined the arena entrance, while arena announcer Matt Cord introduced him as standing 6-9 (2,06 metros) out of St. Vincent-St. Mary’s wearing jersey number 23, though teammate Joel Embiid received the evening’s final player introduction. During the pre-game warmups, arena ushers had to manage large clusters of young fans crowding the bench area hoping for autographs and photographs before James invited a young boy and girl to sit beside him on the bench for a quick photo.
another championship. I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time. Thank you LA. Miami I’ll forever love and Northeast Ohio will always home!🙏🏾🫡👑
The Maxey Connection on the Fast Break
The defining highlight of James’s evening arrived in the first half when Tyrese Maxey spotted his new teammate breaking up the floor and uncorked a long pass from midcourt. James tracked the flight of the ball, gathered it cleanly in stride, and flushed a two-handed dunk that ignited the capacity crowd. “Esta es una conexión que tenemos,” James said afterward, as quoted in the Associated Press wire report, highlighting that pushing the pace in transition will be a cornerstone of Philadelphia’s offensive identity. James emphasized that the roster is still ironing out its collective timing after just a couple of weeks of practices together, adding that the process remains a work in progress heading into the regular-season calendar.
Helicopter Commutes and Roster Adjustments
Beyond the hardwood, James addressed logistical routines surrounding his new team, including the helicopter transport he utilizes after practices to travel between the 76ers’ training facilities in New Jersey and a Manhattan helipad. Reporters noted that the rotor noise has occasionally drowned out post-practice media availabilities at the facility, to which James offered a pragmatic response reported by the Associated Press: “Ya lo he hecho antes. Es sólo otra forma de transporte. Eso es todo.” On the court, the 76ers deployed all their starters aside from VJ Edgecombe, while Jaylen Brown contributed 20 points against the Celtics following his offseason trade to the 76ers.
Opening Week Schedule and Regular-Season Debut
The 76ers open the season on Tuesday against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, where the Knicks will raise the banner to celebrate their NBA championship. Following the road opener, Philadelphia will host its home opener on Thursday against Cleveland, followed by games on consecutive nights during the weekend. James missed the team’s first home preseason exhibition but featured in an open practice in front of 10,000 spectators as well as a previous preseason matchup in Brooklyn where he tallied 10 points, five assists, and four rebounds across the first half.
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