The Chicago Bulls had an unusual interruption during their latest loss, with LeBron James stopping to sample a spectator’s wine.
The Philadelphia 76ers star took a sip from a fan’s cup after chasing a loose ball into the crowd during Monday night’s 126-107 victory over Chicago at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
The moment occurred in the third quarter, with the Bulls trailing by 11 points, according to ESPN’s Kris Rhim.
James collided with the fan, spilled some of the red wine and decided to give it a taste before returning to the court.
LeBron James Explains Wine Sip During Bulls Game
James said his curiosity stemmed from the drink landing on him during the collision.
“I wanted to see if it was worth it on my arm, how good it was. It was all right,” James said, per Rhim.
The fan was Troy Clemons, a longtime Philadelphia season-ticket holder who was making his way back to his seat when James’ pursuit of the ball brought them together.
As The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Chris Hine reported, James and Tyrese Maxey had failed to connect on a transition pass before the four-time NBA champion’s momentum carried him beyond the baseline.
Clemons described a quick apology followed by the random sip.
“He hugged me and said, ‘My bad.’ Drank the drink and just kept it pushing,” Clemons told Hine.
The interaction drew cheers from nearby spectators, and officials briefly held up play while James returned to the floor. Clemons, who said he has attended Sixers games for four decades, came away with a rare addition to those memories.
He also declined to treat the cup as a souvenir. Via USA TODAY’s Marcus D. Smith, Clemons told Rhim that he discarded it and got a fresh drink.
“He’s LeBron, but at the end of the day, I threw that cup in the trash,” Clemons said.
Bulls Fall to 1-6 as Philadelphia Pulls Away
For Chicago, the basketball outcome was less entertaining than the courtside exchange.
The Bulls fell to 1-6, while Philadelphia improved to 7-1. James finished with 15 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.
Chicago stayed competitive into the third quarter before Philadelphia created separation. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Gina Mizell, the Sixers used a 15-2 run to build an 83-66 advantage, with James finishing that stretch on a layup.
Philadelphia led by as many as 22 points in the fourth quarter. All five Sixers starters scored at least 15 points, and the team shot 53% from the field.
Maxey led Philadelphia with 26 points and 11 assists. Jaylen Brown added 25 points and 11 rebounds, while VJ Edgecombe scored 21 points after making his first seven shots.
Those contributions left Chicago trying to contain several scoring threats even when James wasn’t finishing possessions himself.
The Bulls will get another opportunity against the same opponent soon. Philadelphia is scheduled to visit Chicago on Sunday, Nov. 8.
Bulls’ Loss to 76ers Features LeBron James Drinking Booze Midgame