LeBron James admits he appreciates the honest Philadelphia crowd in the 76ers' home opener originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Since LeBron James joined the NBA back in 2003, he has become familiar with every team and crowd in the league. He has played in Philadelphia countless times over the years, but now that he is with the Philadelphia 76ers, he is getting first-hand experience with the passionate crowd.
The 76ers' fans are always quite rowdy, but it is due to the passion they have for their team. They are also well-known when it comes to letting the team know their thoughts, as they booed the 76ers during the first half of their 2026-27 home opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
LeBron James likes how honest the 76ers crowd can be
Over the years, James has gotten familiar with the 76ers' crowd as an opponent. He has already watched all kinds of games with the 76ers involved, and they have let the players know how they feel. They even booed Ben Simmons when he was having a hard time in the Playoffs.
The current 76ers have already received their fair share of boos this season. They are still 2-0 after two games, but they almost lost their second game after an atrocious first half against Cleveland. The fans let them know what they felt, and it unfortunately also led to people booing the halftime performer.
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The 76ers pulled off the monumental comeback by erasing the Cavaliers' 29-point lead. This is the largest comeback since the 1997-98 season for the 76ers, which is a massive achievement. As one of the leaders, LeBron appreciated just how much honesty was in the atmosphere at home.
"It was everything that I dreamed of and more. We got the boos. That was amazing. We deserved it. And then we got the cheers, and almost blew the roof off this thing tonight in a good way. It was a hell of a night," James said about the Philly crowd after the game.
With that kind of immediate feedback, the players can channel that energy into their play on the court. As long as they remain motivated, it seems that the 76ers will feed off any type of energy they are given, which bodes well for their foreseeable future.
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