The King Falls In Brooklyn: LeBron's 76ers Debut Spoiled By Nets
LeBron James delivered 10 points, 5 assists and a perfect night at the line in his first game as a Sixer, but Philadelphia's new superteam dropped a 114-108 preseason decision to Brooklyn.
The King has a new throne, though it did not come with a win. LeBron James pulled on a Philadelphia 76ers jersey for the first time in live NBA action Thursday night, and while the 41-year-old flashed vintage form, his retooled new team walked out of Barclays Center on the wrong end of a 114-108 preseason loss to the Brooklyn Nets.
James, who signed a two-year, $8 million contract with Philadelphia in July after ending his record-setting run with the Los Angeles Lakers, played 18 minutes and 4 seconds, all in the first half, finishing with 10 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and a steal. He made just 1 of his field-goal attempts but went a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line, according to Al Jazeera's recap of the game.
A First Look At Philly's Superteam
It was the first on-court glimpse of the 76ers' remade roster, which now pairs James with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, rookie guard VJ Edgecombe and Jaylen Brown, who arrived from the Boston Celtics over the summer. Brown led all scorers with 18 points, while Julius Randle paced Brooklyn with 14 as the Nets blew the game open with a 37-23 third quarter, according to a live tracker from VAVEL.
"It felt a little different," James said of suiting up in Sixers colors, though he insisted the game itself "is still the same." "Tonight was a good sample size for us to build on."
Entering a record-extending 24th NBA season, James is chasing a fifth championship ring and Philadelphia's first title since 1983, when Julius Erving led the franchise to glory. Coach Nick Nurse called the night part of the process, pointing to good early stretches mixed with the turnovers expected from a roster still learning to play together, a dynamic previewed by the Philadelphia Inquirer ahead of tip-off.
James also used the night to shut down a side controversy, denying a report that he had scolded Embiid for arriving late to practice. "He ain't been late, so stop the lie," James wrote on Instagram.
The Sixers have two more tune-ups against Boston before the games start counting. Philadelphia opens its regular season Oct. 20 against the defending champion New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, the real first test of whether the NBA's newest star-studded roster can turn preseason buzz into a genuine title run.