LeBron James made his Philadelphia 76ers debut on Tuesday night, and he did it in one of the most hostile environments possible, as the Sixers opened the season against the defending champion New York Knicks on ring night at Madison Square Garden.
Late in the first half, James got into a heated exchange with a fan sitting courtside, making it clear that he didn’t appreciate being called soft. And James got the last laugh, as the Sixers went on to spoil the Knicks’ celebration with a 106-100 win. James’ move to Philadelphia has drawn plenty of attention this offseason, in large part because of how he’s getting there. The 41-year-old plans to commute between New York and Philadelphia by helicopter this season, and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called it “perfectly appropriate” that the helicopter is being provided by Fanatics as part of James’ deal with the company. While the NBA might have approved the deal, it still gave Knicks fans plenty of material during Tuesday night’s season-opener. NBC’s Mike Tirico said that he heard one fan yelling at James about the helicopter during the broadcast.
James, who grew up in Akron and spent 11 seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, wasn’t exactly dominant in his debut. He finished with 14 points on 5-of-13 shooting, nine rebounds, and seven assists in 34 minutes. But the Sixers held the Knicks to 37% shooting from the field, and James got the win. When NBC’s Zora Stephenson asked him after the game whether he enjoyed spoiling the Knicks’ ring night, James said that it was “pretty special.”
Clearly, Knicks fans aren’t going to welcome their new neighbor with open arms. And if the first game was any indication, James is more than happy to play the villain at the Garden.