LeBron James has laid bare his struggles with living apart from his wife and daughter after leaving Los Angeles to join the Philadelphia 76ers for his 24th NBA season.

James' farewell tour began on Tuesday night as he took to the court for the first time as a Philadelphia 76er during a season-opening win over the New York Knicks.

The 41-year-old made it look easy as he produced 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists to spoil the Knicks' Champions Night homecoming at MSG.

However, away from the court, James recently revealed that things have been far from easy as he continues to grapple with spending long periods away from family. 

The main issue being that James' wife Savannah and daughter Zuri opted to stay in California, leaving the NBA legend to navigate life on the East Coast alone. 

Speaking with The New York Times, James admitted that adjusting to the long-distance dynamic will test him both on and off the court. 

'It's going to be challenging for sure, because she's always been my backbone,' James admitted. 

'But, listen, whatever my daughter, whatever my wife need in order for them to continue to grow.' 

The elder James children have also established their own paths, with Bronny playing in Los Angeles and Bryce competing in Arizona.

Meanwhile, James might have chosen to play for the Philadelphia 76ers for his final NBA contract, but he is not choosing to live in the city.

Instead, James is basing himself nearly 100 miles away in New York, where his travel plans to practice before the new NBA season have caused a stir.

It emerged at media day earlier this month, as he was whisked away from the facility, that James is commuting via helicopter.

And his sponsor, Fanatics, has now been revealed as the provider of the luxury mode of transport, giving him an open invite to use their Leonardo AW139 helicopter whenever he wants, per TMZ Sports.

The company says James is a 'key partner' and one of the 'most important athletes in the world,' giving him special privileges as part of a 'broad long-term deal.' 

The flight from Philadelphia – where he is landing on top of the helipad on top of the 76ers business offices next to the practice facility – to the VIP Heliport on West 30th Street in New York takes around 40-45 minutes.

The car journey would take around two hours, while a similar charter flight costs around $6,000 to $9,000 each way, meaning James is getting a benefit worth plenty of time and money. 

Discussing his decision to join the 76ers at media day and outlining his postseason ambitions, James bluntly said: 'I didn't leave my family to lose in the second round.'

Now 41, he was asked at media day about retirement looming and continued: 'I'm just looking at it every single day on how I can be the best version of myself for this franchise while I'm here.

'I can't speak into the future right now. I think that would be doing a disservice to myself. Just living in the moment, especially knowing that I am where I am in my career. 

'Me trying to focus on what the future looks like would be like, I wouldn't be giving myself grace. I'm more in the present now, understanding that I'm in Year 24. 

'It won't be another Year-plus 24, you know what I'm saying? It's just like being in the moment and just seeing what happens.'