LeBron James described the Philadelphia 76ers’ home opener as a special experience after they erased a 29-point deficit to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-106 on Thursday night, giving the veteran forward his first home win with his new team.
“It was everything that I dreamed of,” James said of the atmosphere at Xfinity Mobile Arena. “We got the boos, that was amazing. We deserved it, and then we got the cheers and almost blew the roof off this thing tonight, in a good way. That was a hell of a night.”
James finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three steals as Philadelphia improved to 2-0. The 41-year-old also had his daughter and mother in attendance, making the occasion particularly meaningful.
“My daughter was here. She turned 12 today,” James said. “They put her name and told her happy birthday on the jumbotron. That was super cool, man. Mom was here as well.”
The Sixers trailed by 24 points at halftime and had committed 14 turnovers in the first half. James identified ball security and defensive intensity as the keys to the turnaround.
“We had to stop turning the ball over,” he said. “We had to be a little more aggressive defensively and just turn it up a notch.”
Philadelphia outscored Cleveland 69-37 after halftime, with Tyrese Maxey scoring 32 points and Joel Embiid adding 24. James said the offense worked best when the team allowed players to find their rhythm rather than forcing possessions.
“It should flow organically like it did, especially in the second half,” James said. “We just try to feed them, and it comes through the system on offense and doesn’t look forced.”
The comeback also gave the new-look Sixers an early test of their resilience. James said the team’s response at halftime showed it was prepared to fight through adversity, although he cautioned against relying on such rallies.
“I think it’s great to know we got, deep down, that we can, you know, not have that quit mentality,” James said. “But you don’t want to put yourself in too many of those situations.”
James also praised Jaylen Brown, who scored 21 points, for his impact on both ends of the floor.
“His stamina, his strength, his mentality is great for our ball club. It sets the tone,” James said, calling Brown “the best, if not the best, two-way player in our game today.”
Despite opening the season with wins over the New York Knicks and Cavaliers, James emphasized that Philadelphia still has work to do to build chemistry among its new teammates.
“We haven’t done anything, but we’re building something,” he said. “We want to continue to stay on that right track.”
The 76ers host the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday and the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.
