LeBron James Makes 76ers Debut as Philadelphia Unveils New Star-Studded Five

LeBron James finally took the floor in a Philadelphia 76ers uniform Thursday night, giving the NBA its first real look at one of the league’s most fascinating new lineups. In Philadelphia’s 114-108 preseason loss to Brooklyn, James finished with 10 points, five assists and four rebounds in 18 first-half minutes. The 41-year-old attempted just one field goal, but repeatedly created offense by attacking, drawing fouls and moving the ball.

The bigger story was the lineup around him. James started alongside Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, the first time Philadelphia’s revamped starting five shared the floor together in game action. The group flashed the passing and offensive versatility that made Philadelphia one of the offseason’s biggest talking points. Maxey scored 14 first-half points, while James went 8-for-8 at the free-throw line.

Preseason results rarely matter, but chemistry does. Philadelphia now has multiple elite creators who can initiate offense without forcing James to carry a massive scoring workload. That could be especially important as he enters an NBA-record 24th season. Thursday’s debut was only an exhibition, but it offered the first glimpse of how the Sixers plan to use one of basketball’s greatest players in what could be the final chapter of his career.