Retour
LeBron James got a rough welcome in his debut game as a Philadelphia 76er when he took to the court against the New York Knicks.
James took to the floor at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday evening as the road team for the Knicks' banner-raising opener.
But the occasion grew testy as James was seen shouting back at fans near the floor of the Garden multiple times.
At one point in the second quarter, he was seen saying multiple words to baseline fans during a live play.
During another instance at the free throw line, James was seen shouting over to one fan where he could be seen cursing them out.
'You don't know what the f*** you talkin about,' James appeared to say. 'I'm not from the West Coast. I'm from Ohio, baby. Ay, f*** you talkin about.'
LeBron going back and forth with a Knicks fan pic.twitter.com/BTxojKXzjW
— Sports Notes (@TheSportsNotes) October 21, 2026
According to The Athletic's Mike Vorkunov, Knicks superfan Spike Lee stood up to try and keep things calm between James and the fan.
Later in the game, James was seen walking back over to the fan and dapping him up to diffuse the situation.
James joined the Sixers over the summer after leaving the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency.
The superstar previously mentioned that he wanted to join the Knicks, but ultimately chose not to after New York won the NBA title.
'I had visions of playing in [Madison Square] Garden and finishing my career in the Garden,' James told ESPN in September. 'One of the best places I've ever played.'
He added: 'I think it's the No. 1 arena in the world, as far as for a basketball player. But after they beat San Antonio, I was like "Hey, I can't." I couldn't do it.'
This revelation led to Knicks fans chanting 'We don't want you' while James was shooting free throws during the game.