LeBron James’ first public run in a 76ers uniform turned a Saturday scrimmage into a full-scale Philadelphia event, with nearly 10,000 fans paying $10 to fill the building and get an early look at a retooled contender. James, now 41, shared the floor with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe as the Sixers opened camp in front of a charged home crowd.
Key takeaways
- James wore No. 9 in practice because Julius Erving’s No. 6 is retired by Philadelphia.
- Matt Cord returned from a brief summer retirement to announce James in the Sixers’ starting group.
- Philadelphia gave 5,000 scrimmage tickets to community organizations and foundation partners, raising more than $80,000 for the Sixers Youth Foundation.
- James is expected to make his preseason debut Monday, beginning a record-setting 24th NBA campaign.
- Embiid has taken part fully in camp and has arrived looking leaner and lighter after another injury-hit season.
A new voice in the building, and a new star in the lineup
Cord came back to the microphone in part for this moment. When he introduced James, the veteran public-address announcer called out the Akron product from St. Vincent-St. Mary’s, drawing a roar before the scrimmage had meaning beyond a camp workout.
James did not take the traditional No. 23 he has made famous. He has often used No. 6 in practice settings, but that number belongs to Erving in Philadelphia’s retired-number rafters, so James went with No. 9. The fans still bought No. 23 jerseys in team stores, while vendors outside the arena moved James merchandise and supporters packed aisles, stairways and courtside space trying to get a photo. Arena staff repeatedly directed them back toward their seats.
Embiid remained the final starter introduced, preserving his place as the home star even with the NBA’s all-time scoring leader now in the room.
The first sequence gave the crowd a glimpse of what Philadelphia hopes becomes a regular connection: Maxey pushed the ball in transition and found James for an alley-oop finish. James stayed on the rim briefly after the dunk, then settled into the kind of all-court role that has defined his career. He delivered a behind-the-back feed to Edgecombe for a corner attempt that did not fall, drilled a deep 3-pointer from well beyond the standard NBA range, and spent a short stretch on the bench bouncing Maxey’s daughter, Marvel, on his knee.
“It felt like a strong opening step toward where we want to get,” James said. “Hearing the fans behind us was great.”
James said his first week with the franchise has been smooth, crediting the reception from teammates and the organization while noting that he has already been able to speak up in practice and bring his experience to the group. He also acknowledged that life away from the floor will take adjustment, particularly travel without his family nearby.
“Everyone has made me feel welcome,” James said. “I’ve been able to use my voice, the way I see the game and what I’ve learned over the years. I’m still adjusting to the travel and being away from my family, which will be challenging, but it has been a very good first week.”
Camp momentum turns toward preseason
The scrimmage was usually staged in Delaware, home of the franchise’s G League club, but the Sixers brought this year’s event to their own arena. The low-cost ticket price stood in sharp contrast to the demand building for James’ official home debut: 100-level seats on the secondary market for Philadelphia’s Oct. 22 opener against Cleveland were sitting near $1,000.
Before that, the Sixers are set to open the regular season Oct. 20 in New York against the reigning champion Knicks. James is expected to play Monday in the first of Philadelphia’s four preseason games, although he made clear that the team’s camp workload will shape how much he does in exhibition action.
“It will be good to get on the floor with the group and find a rhythm,” James said. “But we do not need to push too hard. We are already putting a lot into practice and tightening up what we want to be when the games count. There should be chances to work through that in preseason.”
Philadelphia also got an encouraging Embiid update through his camp participation. The former MVP drove for a left-handed dunk during the scrimmage, then undercut the moment with a joke that it might have been the last dunk of his career.
The Sixers have carried championship-level expectations before and fallen short of them. This was only a controlled intrasquad run, with no official box score and no standings impact, but the five-man collection of James, Embiid, Maxey, Brown and Edgecombe gave the crowd a first look at the ceiling Philadelphia is chasing.
“They have welcomed me with open arms,” James said. “I feel more comfortable each day.”
