LeBron James was on the court for the first time since signing with the 76ers.
James, 41, made his preseason debut with Philadelphia on Thursday, playing 30 minutes in a 114-108 loss to the Nets on Thursday.
Scoring was not on James’ agenda. He made 1 of 1 shots and 8 of 8 free throws and scored 10 points.
James played the role of organizer for most of the game and also contributed 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 steal.
Thursday’s game was James’ first appearance in a Sixers uniform since signing a two-year, $7.95 million veteran-minimum contract with the team in July.
In an interview with reporters in September, James was confident in bringing a championship to Philadelphia and expressed his hope to bring his previous championship experience to the team.
“You know, I hope that I can bring experience and knowledge and a blueprint to people who are trying to accomplish things that haven’t been accomplished in their careers,” James said. “I’ve seen everything this league has to offer on and off the court, so I hope every day that my approach to the game, my approach to my job, translates to everybody.”
However, drama has already unfolded in Philadelphia, with reports claiming that James made Joel Embiid “heard” after the 76ers star big man showed up “a few minutes late” to practice.
During Monday’s preseason game between Philadelphia and the Knicks, Mike Breen relayed a story someone told him about the two men.
“I was told before the game that they were ready to practice and Joel Embiid walked out on the court a few minutes late and LeBron made him heard,” Breen said on MSG Radio.
James strongly denied Breen’s comments in a post on Instagram Stories.
“He’s not late, so stop lying,” James wrote.
After James returned, Breen apologized for the initial report, saying the story was taken out of context.
“I’m very disappointed in the way the story was interpreted,” Breen told ESPN.
“The whole purpose is to praise the impact LeBron has had on the team in terms of professionalism and responsibility, even if it’s something as benign as a player showing up a minute or two late for practice.”