LeBron James has called the Philadelphia 76ers’ annual Blue-White scrimmage “a great first step” after his first public outing for his new club drew close to 10,000 fans to the team’s home arena on Saturday (US time).
The 41-year-old finished alley-oop dunks from Tyrese Maxey and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and found a trailing Joel Embiid for a three-pointer, ESPN‘s Dave McMenamin reported. The Sixers did not keep an official box score.
“To be able to take what we’ve done on the practice floor, bring it to a game floor situation around our fans … it was a great first step in the direction we’re trying to go,” James said, per ESPN.
LeBron: Embiid “so much more healthier”
James has had only four official practices with Philadelphia, but ESPN reported that was enough for him to see a difference in Embiid compared with the centre he won Olympic gold alongside in Paris two years ago.
“The difference between ’24 and now, he’s just so much more healthier,” James said. “He hasn’t missed a practice. He’s been in damn near everything that we’ve done.”
A noticeably slimmer Embiid blocked second-year guard VJ Edgecombe and threw down a dunk of his own, then joked it was “probably the last dunk of my career”.
Big crowd for a practice
The Sixers usually hold the scrimmage at their G League affiliate’s home court in Delaware, but moved it to Xfinity Mobile Arena to meet demand. Tickets cost US$10, and the Associated Press reported more than US$80,000 was raised for the Sixers Youth Foundation, with 5,000 tickets donated to local community groups and the foundation’s partners.
James wore No. 9 in practice gear because No. 6, the number he has historically worn, is retired in Philadelphia for Julius Erving, AP reported.
“Everybody’s been super welcoming,” James said, per AP, before adding: “I’m still getting more and more comfortable off the floor, with travel and without my family and things of that nature. That’s going to be a little bit of a challenge, but everything’s been good so far. Great first week.”
The scrimmage follows James’ comments at Sixers media day, where he set the bar well above a second-round exit.
What’s next for the 76ers
Coach Nick Nurse gave the squad Sunday off before Philadelphia opens a four-game preseason against the New York Knicks at home on Monday, US time (Tuesday AEDT), according to ESPN. AP reported James was expected to play, which would mark the start of his record 24th NBA season. Philadelphia opens the regular season on 20 October (US time) against the champion Knicks in New York.
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