At 7:10 pm Thursday night, public address announcer Matt Cord introduced LeBron James, the first time the NBA’s all-time leading scorer had heard his name called for a regular season home game as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers. Cord, who came out of retirement when the 76ers signed James this summer, then introduced Joel Embiid, the franchise’s cornerstone since he was selected third overall in the 2014 draft.
Embiid and James are not only the most well-known players on a star-studded roster. They are also the lone Eastern Conference teammates to rank among the top 10 NBA players in projected earnings this season when factoring in salary and endorsements, according to Forbes.
So far in his career, Embiid hasn’t led the 76ers past the second round of the playoffs. Now, with James and former Boston Celtics All-NBA forward Jaylen Brown on the roster, the expectations are soaring for the franchise.
Take Thursday night. When the 76ers fell behind the Cleveland Cavaliers by as many as 29 points in the second quarter, the crowd at Xfinity Mobile Arena booed, just like Philadelphia fans are wont to do. But after the 76ers came back and pulled off a 114-106 victory, those same fans sang “Here Come the Sixers,” the team’s longstanding song following wins.
“No shade to anybody that’s been here,” Embiid said. “But in the past, a lot of people would have just laid down and tried to move on to the next one.”
LeBron James Earns Most Of His Money In Off-Court Deals
Embiid and James, both of whom helped fuel the second half rally, have set the bar high for this season. They will also be highly compensated, although nearly all of James’ earnings come from endorsement deals and other business activities.
James signed a two-year contract in late July for the veteran’s minimum of just under $8 million total. His salary of less than $3.9 million this season is the lowest of his career and a major pay cut from last season when he made $52.6 million with the Los Angeles Lakers. It is the first time since 2015 that James will earn less than $30 million in salary. Still, Forbes projects James will earn $90 million from endorsements and other business deals this season.
When combining his salary and off-court earnings, James is the fourth highest-paid player in the NBA. Embiid, meanwhile, is tenth on the list with projected earnings of $68 million, including $58 million in salary and $10 million in endorsements. It is the fourth consecutive season Embiid has ranked among the top 10 in earnings. Embiid, who has played a combined 96 games in the past three regular seasons, is sixth in the NBA in salary this season, just ahead of Brown, his teammate who is making $57 million.
Embiid is owed $62.6 million next season and has a player option for $67.2 million in the 2028-29 season when he turns 35. And Brown is set to make $61 million next season and $64.9 million the following season when he is 32.
James, who turns 42 in December, is still going strong in his 24th NBA season. He is the league leader in career points and games played, and he is unmatched when it comes to his financial rewards.
LeBron James Ranks Among Top Earners Each Season
Since Forbes began publishing on-court and off-court earnings in the 2011-12 season, James ranked among the top two highest-paid players each season until now.
James was the highest-paid player for 11 consecutive seasons until last season when he was second behind Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry. Curry is first again this season with estimated earnings of $203.6 million, including NBA-highs of $62.6 million in salary and $141 million in endorsements and off-court deals.
James led the league in off-court earnings each year since Forbes began publishing its data until last year when Curry surpassed him. Still, James’ $90 million in estimated off-court earnings this season is the highest of his career.
All told, James has made $961 million since the 2011-12 season in off-court earnings, according to Forbes. In 2021, he surpassed $1 billion in career earnings from salary and endorsements, joining Tiger Woods, Floyd Mayweather, Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as the only athletes to earn at least $1 billion while still playing. A year later, Forbes estimated that James had become a billionaire, becoming the first active NBA player to achieve that feat. James currently has a net worth of $1.4 billion.
With that wealth comes constant attention and scrutiny, even from President Donald Trump. On Thursday afternoon, Trump criticized James for practicing a golf swing and jump shot during “The Star-Spangled Banner” before Tuesday’s season opener against the New York Knicks.
“I said right from the beginning that he’s no good, a TOTAL DISGRACE,” Trump said in a social media post. “LeBron James should apologize to all of those Great American Warriors and Heroes who died for the American Flag, and all that our Country stands for!”
Before Thursday’s game, 76ers coach Nick Nurse was asked about Trump’s comments.
“I think that goes right in with other outside noise we’ve already had,” Nurse said. “I kind of keep saying the same thing. All I really care about is getting them to the practice floor, getting them in the film room, getting them to the game floor. The focus that they’ve had and the intent and all the stuff they’ve had has been excellent.”
Celebrities Come Out For LeBron James’ Home Debut
In their home debut, the 76ers had Boyz II Men, a famous singing group from Philadelphia, perform the national anthem. And Bernard Hopkins, a Philadelphia native and former professional boxing champion, rang the customary pregame bell. Allen Iverson, the popular point guard who led the 76ers to their last NBA finals appearance in 2001, was also in attendance.
“You could really feel it before the game, probably more than ever (since) I’ve been here, for sure,” said Nurse, who is in his fourth season in Philadelphia. “Just the general buzz and all that kind of stuff.”
Still, the 76ers started off nothing like the team that defeated the reigning champion Knicks two nights earlier at Madison Square Garden.
Midway through the second quarter, James stole the ball from Cavaliers guard James Harden, a former 76ers’ player who was booed each time he touched the ball Thursday. James then dribbled down the court for a breakaway dunk, cutting the Cavaliers’ lead to 54-32. But later in the quarter, the crowd began booing, frustrated with how 76ers were performing. At halftime, the Cavaliers led, 69-45, as the 76ers committed 15 turnovers, five more than they did all of Tuesday night.
The 76ers, though, didn’t fold. They started the third quarter on a 10-0 run and never relented. The 76ers took their first lead of the night when Embiid made a jump shot from near the foul line with 6:54 remaining, putting Philadelphia ahead 96-95. They never trailed again, finishing on a 25-11 run.
76ers’ Second Half Comeback Shows Team’s Potential
In the second half, the 76ers outscored the Cavaliers by 32 points, made 50% of their field goals and held Cleveland to 36.8% shooting from the floor, including 2 of 14 on 3-pointers. The 76ers only committed two turnovers in the second half and forced the Cavaliers into 15 turnovers.
The comeback was a team effort. Guard Tyrese Maxey and Brown had 17 points apiece in the second half, while Embiid had 15 on 5 of 6 field goals and 5 of 7 free throws and James added 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Nurse has vowed the 76ers will be judicious with Embiid’s and James’ playing time this season. Some nights, they will sit, especially when the 76ers have back-to-back games. The franchise understands the long game, knowing its veteran stars need to be rested and healthy come the playoffs. In Thursday’s second half, though, Embiid and James each played more than 16 minutes, as the 76ers showed a glimpse of what they could become.
“That was amazing,” Embiid said. “Obviously, we don’t want to be down 29 points like we were early on. We got a few boos, but they came right back out to support us. That was probably a top three night for me since I’ve been here.”
This article was originally published on Forbes.com