For the first time in his NBA career, LeBron James suited up as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers and played in front of the home crowd at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
As expected, the circumstances made the environment much more intense than it typically would be.
Not only was it the home opener for the Sixers, who were coming off their incredible road win against the New York Knicks on banner night, but it was also the home debut of LeBron and Jaylen Brown.
How could fans not pack the stands and have intense reactions?
LeBron James Makes Strong Statement On Home Debut With 76ers
“It was everything that I dreamed of and more,” James told reporters.
“We got the boos. That was amazing. We deserved it. And then we had the cheers, and almost blew the roof off this thing tonight — in a good way. It was a hell of a night.”
It was truly the full Philly experience. A roller coaster of emotions throughout the game. Before the first quarter, the crowd was excited to get going. By halftime, the home team was hearing it with boos, since the Sixers were losing 69-45.
Despite facing a deficit as large as 29 points, the 76ers rallied a comeback in the second half. Those boos turned into cheers once again. The crowd really got into it amid a strong third-quarter showing from the 76ers.
The next thing you know, the 76ers are snatching a late lead in the fourth quarter.
LeBron James vs Cavaliers
After skipping on the Cavaliers in free agency over the summer, LeBron poured some salt in the wound on Thursday.
The veteran forward checked in for 33 minutes. He shot 5-for-14 from the field, hitting on six out of seven free throws.
James produced 17 points. In addition to his scoring, he came down with 10 rebounds to secure the double-double. In the playmaking department, LeBron dished out five assists. Then on defense, he came up with three steals.
It was a strong outing for James, personally. As a whole, the 76ers mounted a comeback and took out the Cavs with a 114-106 victory. The Sixers move to 2-0 on the year. They’ll fire up a back-to-back this weekend, starting with the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, October 24.
