Up close with LeBron James' 76ers debut: Records, boos, and high praise

NEW YORK — In his previous 23 seasons, LeBron James had faced the reigning champion on opening night just three times—and lost every single game. That stood in sharp contrast to his record when defending a title himself (3-1).

On Tuesday night, as the NBA tipped off its 81st season, the 22-time All-Star finally snapped the jinx and spoiled the party on Champions Night—as New Yorkers dubbed it—leading the 76ers to a 106-100 win over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden (25-23, 33-31, 18-29, 24-23) in a thriller that had fans glued to their seats until the final seconds.

Even better: after dropping every team debut of his career—with the Cavaliers (vs. Kings, 106-92), Heat (Celtics, 88-80), and Lakers (Blazers, 128-119)—James made his Sixers debut a winning one as he officially launched his record-extending 24th season, just two months shy of his 42nd birthday. It also marked only the 17th time in NBA history that a reigning champion opened their title defense with a loss.

Following the championship ring ceremony—featuring an innovative design whose top half opens to reveal a miniature Madison Square Garden—Finals MVP Jalen Brunson (21 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists) thanked the crowd for enduring a 53-year title drought: "... One thing I'd like to say is that we'd love to recreate the joy this city felt this summer."

Brunson laced up all-gold sneakers to match the gold lettering and blue-trimmed numbers on the Knicks' new white uniforms, beginning the quest for back-to-back titles in a league that has seen eight different champions over the past eight seasons. It is an unprecedented stretch of parity for a league once dominated by dynasties, including the Celtics' run of eight consecutive titles.

It fueled a fever pitch among fans who saw get-in prices on the secondary market start at $1,865 (€1,660) and peak at $25,750 (€23,000)—well above the $1,545 (€1,384) it would have cost combined to attend the night's other two opening games (Pistons-Celtics, 121-113; Spurs-Thunder, 104-116).

"I think our defense in the second half... In the first half, we defended well initially, but we gave up second-chance points. Offensive rebounds... They got threes because we didn't finish possessions on the glass. So, I was locked in on that: securing the rebound and holding them to one shot," said King James, who late in the first half engaged in a lengthy back-and-forth with a second-row fan near Spike Lee's courtside seat. "I loved the way we played. I thought we executed exceptionally well, especially defensively," he added.

While team introductions drew a split reaction of cheers and boos when James' name was called, the Sixers forward was jeered relentlessly every time a play went against him during the game.

The Garden crowd—which, unlike in Brooklyn and Boston during the preseason, showed very few jerseys from his former teams and mostly his new Sixers threads—chanted "We don't want you!" poking fun at his decision to live in New York while playing for Philadelphia, and his recent admission that he considered joining the Knicks to finish his career in the Big Apple had they not captured the championship.

With the win in hand, James was gracious: "It was a great night for the New York fans. Obviously, it had been over 50 years. I experienced a similar situation, going over 50 years without a major championship in Cleveland. The fans will never forget this moment, they'll never forget this championship run. We're just thrilled to come in, play on such a historic night in a historic building, and play the game we love."

"I feel much better. I'm still finding my rhythm. It's all about getting the win. It's about making winning plays down the stretch. I'm very familiar with every scenario this game can throw at you. I feel blessed to still be playing at this level and to do it in this arena," he concluded.