LeBron James sips fan's wine mid-game as 76ers beat Bulls 126-107

The collision and the sip

The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Chicago Bulls 126-107 on Monday, 2 November, a game remembered mostly for one moment in the stands. During the third quarter James chased a pass from Tyrese Maxey that had gone long, ran into the front rows and collided with a fan holding a plastic cup of wine. Some of the wine spilled, and James grabbed the cup, took a sip and handed it back before returning to the court. Fans nearby laughed, and footage of the moment spread across social media. The fan later told La Vanguardia that he did not mind the wine being shared or the wine that spilled on him.

What James said afterwards

After the game James joked with reporters about the episode. He said he had spilled some of the fan's wine and wanted to see whether it was worth it, and he judged the drink "aight", repeating the word twice. The wine had also landed on his arm, which gave him a reason to test it. He then turned to the wider grind of the season in a longer answer.

“It's a long marathon, and if you don't find ways to have fun, even though you're working and you're locked in, it can wear on you.”

James said that appreciating small moments mattered to him at this stage of his career. He also said the fans treated the team well and that the players tried to repay them by playing hard and putting on a show.

Scoring and game flow

The Sixers led 64-59 at halftime and 90-79 after three quarters, then pulled away in the fourth. Maxey led the team with 26 points, Jaylen Brown added 25 and VJ Edgecombe scored 21. James finished with 15 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, while Maxey scored 15 points in the fourth quarter alone. Joel Embiid scored 15 points in 25 minutes, as head coach Nick Nurse limited his minutes because of a plantar fascia problem in his right foot.

Tyrese Maxey26

Jaylen Brown25

VJ Edgecombe21

Joel Embiid15

LeBron James15

Tyrese Maxey

26 points

Jaylen Brown

25 points

VJ Edgecombe

21 points

Joel Embiid

15 points

LeBron James

15 points

Data from the article text

Start of the season

The win was the Sixers' fourth straight and gave them seven wins from eight games, the best record in the Eastern Conference. James is averaging 16.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and 7.3 assists this season and has built a strong rapport with Maxey and Edgecombe. James has previously described a habit of one glass of wine a day, a habit he has at times linked to his wellbeing. The newcomers are still adjusting to one another, yet the results have come quickly.