The news comes several weeks after James announced that he would be joining the Philadelphia team after eight seasons with the L.A. Lakers
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NEED TO KNOW
- LeBron James’ first game with the Philadelphia 76ers will be against defending NBA champions the New York Knicks
- He signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the 76ers, joining 2024 NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey
- The 76ers will kick off their 2026-27 NBA season against the defending champion on Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. ET on NBC
LeBron James will be kicking off his 24th NBA season with a bang.
NBC announced in a press release on Tuesday, Aug. 11 that James will make his Philadelphia 76ers debut against the defending NBA champions, the New York Knicks, on Tuesday, Oct. 20. The match will air during primetime at 7 p.m. ET.
The scheduling announcement comes amid news that James, 41, will be joining the 76ers. The player made his plans known on July 24, after weeks of speculation about his next move following eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers. He signed a two-year, $8 million deal with a player option, ESPN reported.
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“I still truly love this game, and I have more to give… I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work,” the NBA player shared, in part, via a post on X. “I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship.”
“I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time,” he added.
The 76ersrevamped lineup also includes 2024 NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, who, after 10 seasons with the Boston Celtics, was part of a blockbuster trade with the 76ers in July. The Celtics traded Brown in exchange for veteran forward Paul George, two first-round draft picks and two second-round draft picks.
James and Brown, 29, will get to show off their new teamwork as part of the starting five alongside longtime 76ers stars Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe during their tip-off game, according to NBC’s release.
While discussing the new team dynamics during an introductory news conference last week, Brown said, per ESPN, “I think everybody knows how incredible the opportunity that we have, but we also got to put in the work. So my focus is on that, putting in the work, earning the respect from the city, from the coaching staff, everything.”
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“Obviously, it’s a lot of guys with talent and egos. But to win, you got to be able to sacrifice, you got to be able to have trust and communicate,” he added later on during the conference. “I want to come in transparent. I want to come in with my agenda on the table. Look, this is what I’m here to do. This is what I want to do. I want to win. And we kind of can figure out how to respectfully move around each other.”
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The new 76ers team will face off against New York Knicks players, including Jalen Brunson, 2026 NBA All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, as well as veteran leaders Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges, who are returning to the court after leading their franchise to the first championship title in 53 years last season.
The Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons will also go head to head during a matinee game at 3 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Oct. 20, while the Oklahoma City Thunder will play the San Antonio Spurs at 9:30 p.m. ET, according to NBC.
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