The biggest story of the season is now the reality of the regular season. The new NBA campaign kicked off on Tuesday, and with it, we got our first look at LeBron James in a 76ers uniform.
It went as well as James and his new team could have hoped for their first outing together. The Sixers defeated the Knicks 106-100 at Madison Square Garden, spoiling a ring and banner night for the reigning champions.
In 34 minutes, James provided his usual all-around excellence by filling the stat sheet: 14 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and just one turnover. Here are our grades for James from his first game with Philly.
General effect: A
James said recently that the luxury of his game is that he “can do anything.” He is not lying. James doesn’t need to be a leading scorer to impact the process and help his team win. That was true against the Knicks. He got off to a slow start, scoring 14 points on 5-for-13 shooting. He missed all three of his 3-point attempts. This is not a great efficiency. It didn’t matter.
In 34 minutes, James had 9 rebounds, 7 assists and helped the Sixers’ defense make life difficult for the Knicks, who shot just 37% from the floor and 33% from 3-point range. If those are the numbers and effort they can expect from the 41-year-old James, Philly will gladly take it.
Pre-game pomp: A
Selling James as a Sixer isn’t too much of a stretch. You have a franchise that hasn’t gotten out of the second round in 25 years and then the greatest player of all time comes in to save the day. The story writes itself.
Do the same with hype videos. Have James wear a Phila jersey across the front, let him do a little vocal about how excited he is to play for more than just him, shoot some tracking shots of the city and the fans, and add the slogan “throw the ball up.” Boom. As they say in Hollywood, it’s lunch.
Slam Magazine also did a classic cover shoot with James. Full credits that go with “Let Me Reintroduce Myself,” a line from Jay-Z’s “Public Service Announcement,” a track from The Black Album released in 2003, the same year James was composed.
The marketing machine has gone into overdrive and isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
Released for flight: A
On Tuesday morning, NBA commissioner Adam Silver was asked about the much-discussed issue of James flying in a helicopter provided by Fanatics as part of an endorsement deal with the company. Michael Rubin, former Sixers minority owner and CEO and founder of Fanatics, added some fuel to this particular conspiracy fire. And Pablo Torre, who won a Pulitzer for his reporting on the Clippers cap evasion scandal, investigates. But to hear the commissioner tell it, he sees nothing untoward in the arrangement.
“He has a deal with Fanatics about LeBron and that helicopter. If part of his deal is they’re going to supply him with a helicopter, that’s totally fine,” Silver said. “I mean, it’s just an agreement between the Fanatics and LeBron, and if neither team is involved, there’s no rule problem there.”
This came as a relief to James, who would have been more excited if his commute from New York to Philly had to travel up and down the New Jersey Turnpike.
Suitable for game day: B
Not her most memorable outfit. Nothing flashy here, just a dark, double-breasted suit, a crisp white shirt and sunglasses and a tie to go with the bag. Vintage from head to toe.
Season 24 Presentation: C
It’s complicated. James plays for the Sixers. He was introduced for the first game of a record 24th NBA season in New York. This will automatically earn you some smiles from the local fans, and rightfully so. But James has often talked about how much he loves playing at Madison Square Garden, and there’s been plenty of talk this offseason that he dreams of one day becoming a Knick. All of this led to a somewhat mixed reaction from the crowd when the PA announcer called his name as the fifth starter for Philly. Knicks fans could be forgiven for being uncertain about how to handle this (although they did step up their game later with a new song).
Handshake with Joel Embiid: A+
It’s the first game and Embiid has already made him cosplay D-Generation X. There is no record.
First Sixers chalk shot: A
Classic.
First aid: B
When asked in the preseason how he would use LeBron, head coach Nick Nurse pointed to James’ playmaking, which he said would help get the offense going. It makes sense. James is one of the best passers of all time.
For his first assist in a Sixers uniform, James spotted Jaylen Brown in the paint, found the right angle as he often does, and made a quick inbound pass for an easy bucket. Like LeBron’s game day matchup, it wasn’t exactly brilliant, but it worked.
First field goal: C
Among other things, James is the all-time leader in points and field goals. This cart… will be added to those numbers. Picking off Landry Shamet in the post probably isn’t something to highlight his career, but James had to get his first basket somehow.
First Dunk: B-
End of an alley a block away from Brown. It’s kind of graded on the LeBron curve. He’s one of the most explosive dunkers of all time, but he’ll be 42 in December. As for his all-time dunks, it won’t be as memorable, but it’s still impressive how athletic the man remains.
Implementation of the break: A
James has been one of the best players on the outdoor floor for nearly a quarter of a century. It is a sight to behold. Last season, he finished second in the NBA in total fastbreak points — behind only rookie teammate Tyrese Maxey. In the third quarter, Maxey found him in front and James did what he does best: accelerate to the basket and complete the transition at full speed. Josh Hart made a brief attempt to stop the ball before he thought better of it. Smart man.
Correcting misinformed Knicks fans: A+
If you’re going to talk about the greatest player of all time, at least get his biography right. As for LeBron, the surest way to win Philly’s collective heart is to yell at a Knicks fan on national television.
Spoiled call night at MSG: Unknown
Do they even do letter grades that high?