LeBron James makes 76ers debut, scores 10 points in 114-108 pre-season loss to Nets
James played 18 first-half minutes and scored 10 points, while Jaylen Brown led all scorers with 18 and Brooklyn outscored Philadelphia 37-23 in the third quarter.
Debut in Brooklyn
LeBron James made his first appearance for the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday in a pre-season game against the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center, where the 41-year-old received a loud ovation from the crowd. Right before tip-off he performed his signature chalk toss in a 76ers uniform for the first time. The 76ers lost 114-108. James signed with Philadelphia in July on a two-year deal worth $8 million, according to AFP, and he has said it will be his final contract in the NBA. He left the Los Angeles Lakers this summer after eight seasons with the franchise, and the Sixers are his fourth NBA club.
Performance on the floor
James played 18 minutes, all in the first half, and scored 10 points on his only field goal while making all eight of his free throws. He added four rebounds, five assists and a steal, with all five assists coming in the first quarter. The New York Times reported that he handled the ball for much of his time on the floor, letting Tyrese Maxey roam off the ball, and Maxey scored all 14 of his points in the first half. Jaylen Brown, a new arrival from the Boston Celtics, led all scorers with 18 points. Julius Randle had 14 for the Nets, who outscored the Sixers 37-23 in the third quarter to take control. Moritz Wagner, who joined Brooklyn from the Orlando Magic, started for the Nets and scored six points with four steals in 18 minutes. The New York Times also noted a defensive lapse, when Nets point guard Egor Dёmin blew James by off the dribble.
- Jaylen Brown
- 18 points
- Tyrese Maxey
- 14 points
- LeBron James
- 10 points
Coach and captain reactions
Sixers coach Nick Nurse saw his starters together for the first time and pointed to early positives.
I think there was some really good things happening, you know, right off the bat.
Nurse also acknowledged the turnovers and clunky stretches, and framed the game as a learning exercise.
I think you look at it as what's good and what are the learning experiences, things that we can improve.
James said it "is going to take some time" for the new group to gel, and after the game he added the following.
Tonight was a good sample size for us to build on.
What comes next
The 76ers have two more pre-season games, both against the Boston Celtics, before opening the regular season against the defending champion New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on 20 October. Brooklyn is 2-0 in the pre-season, while Philadelphia has one win and one defeat from its first two games. James's arrival has also brought outside noise. During the team's first pre-season game on Monday, a play-by-play announcer reported that James had admonished Embiid for being late to a practice, and James took to Instagram to refute the report.
