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LeBron James makes home preseason debut for 76ers with well-rounded performance as Joel Embiid shines

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Mary Reid

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LeBron James made his home debut for the Philadelphia 76ers in the team’s preseason finale on Friday versus the Boston Celtics.

Introduced second-to-last among the Sixers’ starters, before Joel Embiid, James drew the largest ovation from the fans at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

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Embiid won the opening tip-off and the ball went to James. Philadelphia’s star free-agent addition then launched a 3-pointer. Had the shot gone in, the crowd would have erupted and given the home team a huge boost. But James missed.

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer got his first basket in a 76ers uniform nearly midway through the first quarter. James defleted a pass by the Celtics’ Hayden Gray to point guard Tyrese Maxey, then streaked down the court with no defenders near him. Maxey floated a lob pass to James, who threw it down for a fast-break dunk.

The two-man game between James and Maxey will likely be a frequent feature of the Sixers’ offense, based on what they showed on Friday.

One of James’ baskets came after setting a screen at the top of the key, then cutting to the basket and getting a pass from Maxey for a layup. James also brought the ball up the court on several possessions, relieving Maxey of ballhandling responsibilties while also freeing the guard up to move without the ball, going to the basket or moving to the corner for open 3-pointers.

James’ night ended with 3:25 remaining in the third quarter with Sixers coach Nick Nurse taking him out for Jaylen Brown. He finished with an all-around performance of 8 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists in 25 minutes.

Embiid led Philadelphia with 23 points, picking up where he left off versus the Celtics during last season’s playoffs. He added 8 rebounds and 5 assists, noticeably moving across the floor with a frame reportedly 20 to 25 pounds lighter. Though to be fair, Embiid did not have to face Mitchell Robinson or Neemias Queta, who both sat out Friday’s game.

Maxey followed with 22 points and 6 assists, one of three Sixers to score 20 or more points on Friday.

If not for James making his home debut with his new team, Friday’s story might have been Brown facing the Celtics for the first time since he was traded to Philadelphia in July.

Brown played 31 minutes, exiting the game at the 7:51 mark of the fourth quarter. He tallied 20 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks against his former club.

The Sixers played at Boston last Saturday, but Brown sat out the preseason return to his home court along with fellow starters James, Embiid and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in a 144-106 defeat.

Notably, Brown did not face former teammate Jayson Tatum as the Celtics sat several starters for Friday’s game, including Robinson, former 76er Paul George (part of the trade for Brown) and Derrick White. Both teams opted to play their starters and top contributors in their respective home games during the preseason.

The 76ers begin the 2026-27 regular season on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden against the defending NBA champion New York Knicks. The Celtics will visit the Detroit Pistons, also on Tuesday, to tip off their season.

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