As LeBron James Sits, 76ers Open Preseason With Win Over Knicks

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 5: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers talks to LeBron James #23 and Tyrese Maxey #0 during a timeout against the New York Knicks in the first quarter during the preseason game at Xfinity Mobile Arena on October 5, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

Visit betsport24.es for more information.

Getty Images

Throughout the Philadelphia 76ers’ preseason opener Monday night, LeBron James sat near the end of the bench. He didn’t play at all, a disappointment for fans who hoped to catch their first glimpse of James competing in a 76ers’ uniform. Instead, James wore a maroon sweatsuit and a Philadelphia Phillies’ hat, a choice that was no doubt an attempt to appeal to a sports-crazed city yearning for a championship.

Indeed, this is perhaps the most anticipated 76ers’ season this century, as the franchise traded for Boston Celtics All-NBA forward Jaylen Brown in June and signed James to a free agent contract a month later. The moves helped reinvigorate a team that was reeling from a four-game sweep by the New York Knicks in the second round of the playoffs. It was the 25th consecutive season the 76ers failed to advance to the conference finals. Making matters worse, thousands of Knicks’ fans traveled to the playoff games in Philadelphia in May, making the Xfinity Mobile Arena seem like a road venue for the 76ers.

On Monday night, the teams met again, with the 76ers defeating the Knicks, 120-97, a victory over the reigning NBA champions that doesn’t mean much considering neither team went all out. They focused more on getting their bench players in the game rather than playing their normal rotation. Brown led the 76ers with a game-high 22 points on 8 of 13 shooting in 16 minutes and 51 seconds, the most playing time of any starter on either team.

While there were plenty of Knicks’ fans in attendance, the 76ers’ supporters came out in force, too, many wearing replica James’ jerseys. A Stubhub spokesperson said that interest in the game, as measured by views on the secondary ticket marketplace’s website and app, were the highest of any NBA preseason game this year or last year. Stubhub declined to disclose the average ticket price for the game or how many tickets traded hands, but the company claimed 64% of ticket buyers on its platform were from outside of Pennsylvania.

James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer who is entering his 24th season, wasn’t the only Philadelphia starter to take the night off. Joel Embiid, the team’s 7-foot center and cornerstone for more than a decade who has battled injuries for most of his career, didn’t play, either. Neither did guard Tyrese Maxey, who is entering his seventh season. Maxey averaged a career-high 28.3 points and 6.6 assists per game last season.

Still, 76ers coach Nick Nurse said the absences were not related to injuries. Each of those players participated in last Saturday’s annual preseason scrimmage, which was moved from the 76ers’ G League facility in Delaware to Xfinity Mobile Arena to accommodate the fan interest. And Nurse said the 76ers’ health was “amazing,” only citing minor injury issues with reserves Dominick Barlow (back) and Anfernee Simons (muscle tightness). Barlow and Simons are expected to return soon.

Nurse said he anticipates most of the 76ers’ stars will play at least two of their four preseason games. The team plays again in New York on Thursday against the Brooklyn Nets.

While the 76ers opened in Abu Dhabi last year, and franchises often have training camps in other places in part to improve team bonding, Philadelphia stayed home this year and began camp last Monday at its training facility in Camden, N.J.

“I normally am used to going away somewhere,” Nurse said. “But I’ve really enjoyed being here this last week. I think it’s been an excellent camp so far.”

With James aboard, the 76ers are going to be among the most closely followed teams all season. On Monday night, about three dozen media members attended Nurse’s pregame press conference. Knicks coach Mike Brown indicated that the hype around the 76ers is justified, especially when it comes to James. Brown coached James in Cleveland for five seasons when he was in his early- to mid-20s. James is now less than three months shy of his 42nd birthday.

“Year 24 is insane,” Brown said. “It’s unheard of. It’s not human. People talk about (7-foot-4 San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama) being not human because of what he can do for his size. You’ve got to throw LeBron in that category because of his durability and still doing it at an age that he has at a high level. It’s amazing to watch.”

Brown remembers James when he was younger seeking advice on how to take care of his body from former Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who is more than nine years older.

“He was not afraid to ask him what he does daily, and then follow his lead,” Brown said. “It’s just an amazing run for one of the all-time greats.”

Still, James is not done. Far from it. Mike Brown, in fact, considers the 76ers among the Eastern Conference favorites with the addition of James and Brown. When Brown was an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs in the early 2000s, he recalled head coach Gregg Popovich mentioning teams needed three consistent All-Stars to compete for championships. James and Embiid are former Most Valuable Players and perennial All-Stars, while Brown and Maxey were second- and third-team All-NBA last season, respectively.

“You look at this team here, and they’ve got as many All-Stars or guys of that nature as what they had in Miami when LeBron was down there,” Brown said. “They’re definitely a deep team, a talented team. Nick Nurse does a phenomenal job. He’s a championship-level coach, and they’re definitely going to be one of the teams that are contending in the East. And in my opinion, it just got harder for everybody with the team that they assembled.”

The 76ers are hoping it is different than a year ago when Embiid recovered from left knee surgery in the offseason and only played 38 regular season games, the third consecutive season he played fewer than 40 games.

Paul George, meanwhile, only played in 37 regular season games and was suspended for 25 games in February and March for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy. George thrived in the first round series victory over the Boston Celtics, helping the 76ers overcome a three games to one deficit, but he struggled at times in the loss to the Knicks. And while Embiid had some success in the postseason, including scoring 34 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in Game 7 of the Celtics’ series, he missed three of the 76ers’ 10 playoff games due to an injury.

Now, George is on the Celtics, as the 76ers traded him to Boston in the Brown deal. Embiid has lost weight, too, and is healthier than a year ago. It is a welcome sign, although the 76ers are sure to monitor Embiid closely to make sure he’s ready come the postseason. The season doesn’t start until Oct. 20 when the 76ers visit the Knicks, and the playoffs are more than six months away. A lot can happen between now and then, as the 76ers are well-aware. Still, the early signs are encouraging, for what it’s worth.

“You want to be able to get your best players on the floor and start working on getting better,” Nurse said. “That’s number one, and that’s been the case here for a week, so that’s been really good.”

This article was originally published on Forbes.com

Read full story at source