LeBron James and the 76ers Spoil Knicks’ Home Opener in Front of Star-Studded Crowd

NEED TO KNOW

• LeBron James recorded 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in his Philadelphia debut
• The Knicks received championship rings before facing the Sixers at Madison Square Garden
• James signed with Philadelphia after eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers

It was a night to remember for LeBron James and the new-look Philadelphia 76ers!

The 76ers, with a new starting lineup headlined by the 41-year-old NBA superstar, lived up to the hype (for at least one night) in their 106-100 win over the league’s reigning champs, the New York Knicks, at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, Oct. 20.

James posted 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in his debut for Philadelphia as Knicks superfans Ben Stiller, Mariska Hargitay and Spike Lee sat courtside.

Tuesday night followed an offseason of celebrating for the Knicks, who received their championship rings ahead of tip-off.

Shortly after securing the NBA title, Knicks stars Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby made a special appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on June 15. This year’s champs — who defeated the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on June 13 — brought along their new hardware, the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy, in front of an audience packed with Knicks fans and the team’s president, Leon Rose.

Months later, Towns wed Jordyn Woods, and the WAGs were out in full force.

Ali Brunson and Shannon Hart reunited at the star-studded wedding on Aug. 15 in Malibu, Calif., where they dazzled in stunning black dresses.

In photos Shannon posted to Instagram on Aug. 17, the wife of Knicks guard Josh Hart is seen smiling next to Ali, who is married to reigning NBA Finals MVP Brunson. “Wedding Season,” Shannon captioned the Instagram carousel, which also featured Lexi Sousa, the girlfriend of Knicks point guard Tyler Kolek.

For the Sixers, the summer was just as newsworthy, beginning in July.

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On July 6, Jaylen Brown was traded by the Boston Celtics to Philly. Weeks later, James joined forces with the franchise.

After eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, the NBA legend signed a two-year, $8 million deal on July 26 to play with the Eastern Conference team, ending weeks of buzz about where he would land.

James joins Brown, Joel Embiid and V.J. Edgecombe in the lineup, along with good friend Tyrese Maxey, who he has said played a key role in his decision to leave the Lakers.

“When I became a free agent and we decided to let the Lakers know that I wouldn’t be returning, he was one of the first people that was on my line, calling me,” James said of his longtime friend during the Sept. 25 installment of his Mind the Game podcast.

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