LeBron James made his official debut for the Philadelphia 76ers on NBA opening night and played spoiler after the New York Knicks received their championship rings and raised the banner.
James helped the new-look 76ers defeat the Knicks, 106-100, at Madison Square Garden. Along the way, an exchange he had with a fan seated a few rows from courtside captured attention on NBC's broadcast.
Another fan sitting in the vicinity recorded James on a phone, and the video quickly hit the internet. It shows James trash-talking back at the fan with some colorful words, including telling him where he's from.
"Ain’t nothing soft in the Midwest ... I'm not from the West Coast; I'm from Ohio, baby. I'm an Ohio baby, [expletive] is you talking about?" LeBron chirped at the nearby fan, then gave him a dirty look before turning around to box out.
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It's unclear exactly what Knicks fans said in the video, but James' response suggested this exchange involved his West Coast connections and his Ohio roots.
Regardless, James needed to correct the fan, and he kept at it for what seemed like an extended moment during the game that NBC addressed. Even Knicks superfan Spike Lee stood up at one point, but it's unknown whether he participated in any of the banter.
As the commentators mentioned, the last thing anyone rooting for the Knicks would want to do is get James going. Much like other all-time greats, firing up a superstar can often put them into a zone to take out frustration on the opponent.
James didn't necessarily need to do that in this game due to how much star power the 76ers have. Still, King James helped his team grab a win, finishing the game with 14 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, a steal, and a block.
Another new member of the 76ers' starting lineup, former Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown, finished with 19 points, eight rebounds, and six assists in his debut. All-Star Tyrese Maxey led the way with 28 points, five assists, and four rebounds, while Joel Embiid had a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds.
It was an early measuring stick for the new-look Philadelphia lineup, which shot 41.6% from the field, had 22 points off turnovers, and 24 fast-break points. Philadelphia starts out at 1-0 in what promises to be a long season with two more matchups against the defending NBA champions ahead.
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