LeBron James’ Philadelphia debut comes with a marker no NBA player has reached before: a 24th season patch on his jersey when the 76ers open against the defending champion Knicks in New York tonight.
The 41-year-old arrives in Philadelphia as the league’s career scoring leader and its all-time games-played leader. He has appeared in 1,622 regular-season games entering the matchup at Madison Square Garden.
Quick facts
- James will make his 76ers debut tonight against the Knicks in New York.
- His jersey will carry a special patch recognizing his 24th NBA campaign.
- He is the first player in NBA history to play a 24th season.
- Topps said Tuesday that selected patches will appear in future exclusive trading cards.
- James is chasing a fifth NBA title with Philadelphia.
James had already set the longevity standard before extending it again. His 1,622 games played put him atop that record as well, while the 24-season milestone adds another entry to a résumé that has long since moved beyond normal career benchmarks.
He comes off a final Lakers season in which he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists. His production climbed in the postseason, where he posted 23.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists over 10 games while helping Los Angeles eliminate the Houston Rockets in the first round.
Philadelphia now drops James into a core that includes Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown. The immediate assignment is a road test against the champs; the larger one is turning that group into a title contender and giving James a run at championship No. 5.
