LeBron fires up crowd with monster slam in Sixers home debut - ESPN

PHILADELPHIA — LeBron James locked eyes on the basketball the moment Tyrese Maxey lobbed a half-court pass in his new teammate's direction.

James snared the ball and brought it home for a two-handed dunk that sent the 76ers' crowd of 19,746 fans — yes, a sellout in the final preseason game — into a frenzy.

Just wait until it counts.

James performed his famed chalk toss and was introduced to a roaring ovation Friday night in his first preseason game for the 76ers in Philadelphia.

The 41-year-old James, who joined the 76ers this summer for his NBA-record 24th season, gave a sneak peek of the fun that could be ahead in his first season with the Sixers.

He scored eight points and had eight rebounds against the Boston Celtics, but it was the dunk off a pass from Maxey — a close friend whom James has credited with swaying his decision to sign with the Sixers — that made him a crowd favorite in Philadelphia.

«This is a connection that we have,» James said. «Some of the best things for us offensively is going to be to get up the floor.»

James got some nice air on the dunk. He's getting sky-high in the helicopter he takes after practice from the Sixers' New Jersey practice facility to a helipad in New York. There have been a few times already when his teammates' answers during post-practice interviews have been drowned out by the whirring overhead.

«I've done it before,» James said. «Just another way of transportation. That's all.»

Public address announcer Matt Cord offered a full-throated «At 6-9, from St. Vincent-St. Mary's, No. 23, LeBron James! James!» for the intros. Joel Embiid still got the final introduction.

Though nothing from Boston's 125-120 overtime victory will count toward James' career stats, Sixers fans had been