LeBron James locked eyes on the ball the moment Tyrese Maxey lobbed a half-court pass toward his new teammate.
James snared it and finished with a two-handed dunk, sending the 76ers’ crowd of 19,746 into a frenzy. Yes, that was a sellout for the final preseason game.
Just wait until it counts.
On Friday night, James did his famous chalk toss and got a roaring ovation as he was introduced for his first preseason game in a Sixers uniform in Philadelphia. The 41-year-old signed with the team this summer for his NBA-record 24th season, and this was a preview of the fun that might lie ahead.
“This is a connection that we have,” James said. “Some of the best things for us offensively is going to be to get up the floor.”
He finished with eight points and eight rebounds against the Boston Celtics, but the dunk off Maxey’s pass made him a crowd favorite. Maxey is a close friend, and James has credited him with swaying his decision to sign with Philadelphia, per ESPN.
“I’ve done it before,” James said. “Just another way of transportation. That’s all.”
James didn’t play in the Sixers’ home preseason opener, but he did suit up for a scrimmage that was open to the public and drew 10,000 fans. His preseason debut came last week in Brooklyn, where he had 10 points, five assists and four rebounds in the first half.
Now the real games are close. Philadelphia opens the regular season on Tuesday against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, where New York will raise its championship banner. The home opener is Thursday against Cleveland, followed by back-to-back games over the weekend.
James spent the last eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers before signing a two-year deal with the Sixers for the league minimum, and he’s realistic about where things stand.
“We’re getting there,” James said. “We’re a couple of weeks in. We’re still working on our rhythm, working on our kinks. It’s not going to be perfect. Obviously, we’re just getting together, so it’s not going to be perfect. But we’ve got some things we can build on.”
