NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 20: LeBron James #23 and Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers shake hands during the third quarter of the game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on October 20, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
During the Philadelphia 76ers’ season debut against the New York Knicks, LeBron James had to switch positions at times.
As expected, Nick Nurse utilized LeBron as a center. With Adem Bona shaking rust from an injury, and Jabari Walker only giving the 76ers three minutes of action, Nurse felt most comfortable giving non-Joel Embiid minutes to James.
The ex-NBA All-Star Jeff Teague felt like that was enough to call LeBron the greatest.
Ex-NBA Star Makes Bold Statement After LeBron James’ Sixers Debut
GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – OCTOBER 16: LeBron James #23 of the Philadelphia 76ers tosses chalk in the air prior to the preseason game against the Boston Celtics at Xfinity Mobile Arena on October 16, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Celtics defeated the 76ers 125-120 in overtime. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
“Nobody else besides Magic Johnson could turn into a center, and at 40, Magic wasn’t playing. That solidified it for me, I used to always debate who’s the greatest I watched a dude go from a point guard to a center by the end of his career I’ve never seen that,” Teague said on Club 520.
Playing center isn’t new for LeBron. During his Los Angeles Lakers tenure, that was a role that he embraced at times.
Coming into his Sixers stint, James made it clear that he was going to embrace being a Swiss Army knife for the 76ers. The team has plenty of talent, so they don’t need to lean on James always, but they’ll certainly take whatever they can get from him.
If that’s quality small-ball center minutes, then so be it.
LeBron James’ 76ers Debut
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 20: LeBron James #23 of the Philadelphia 76ers dunks the ball during the third quarter of the game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on October 20, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images)
In his debut with the 76ers, James checked in for 34 minutes of action.
The superstar forward shot 5-13 from the field, missing all three of his shots from three. He had a quiet night in the scoring department, tacking on 14 points.
However, James was as good as advertised everywhere else. He came down with nine rebounds and produced seven assists. James also came away with one steal and blocked one shot.
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 20: LeBron James #23 of the Philadelphia 76ers and Andre Drummond #0 of the New York Knicks interact during the second quarter of the game at Madison Square Garden on October 20, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images)
The 76ers managed to spoil the Knicks’ banner night in New York City. Philadelphia defeated the defending champions 106-100.
On Thursday, the 76ers will host the Cleveland Cavaliers for their home opener. LeBron James will officially compete in a regular-season setting with the Sixers for the first time in his career.
Justin Grasso Justin Grasso is an NBA/NFL reporter, covering trending league news, transactions, injuries, and player developments. He is a credentialed journalist with nearly a decade of insider access. More about Justin Grasso
During the Philadelphia 76ers’ season debut against the New York Knicks, LeBron James had to switch positions at times. As expected, Nick Nurse utilized LeBron as a center. With Adem Bona shaking rust from an injury, and Jabari Walker only giving the 76ers three minutes of action, Nurse felt most comfortable giving non-Joel Embiid minutes […]
