During Tuesday’s season opener between the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers, Knicks fans trolled new 76ers star LeBron James by chanting “we don’t want you.”
James and his Philadelphia teammates got the last laugh, though, by winning 106-100 in front a Knicks crowd that began the night by celebrating the team’s players receiving their championship rings and seeing a NBA Finals banner raised to the rafters inside Madison Square Garden for first time in 53 years.
The game also featured James getting into a verbal altercation with a Knicks fan sitting in the rows near courtside, as fan and NBC video captured James cursing out a man who may have called him soft.
“Ain’t nothing soft from the Midwest, I don’t know what the f-ck you talking about,” James was heard yelling at the Knicks fan. “I’m not from the West Coast. I’m from Ohio baby, I’m not a Midwest kid, I’m a Ohio baby. F-ck is you talking about.”
James, who was born in Akron, Ohio, began his NBA career in 2003 with the nearby Cleveland Cavaliers. The 41-year-old joined the 76ers as a free agent in July to play in a NBA-record 24th season following eight seasons as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.
While James is now content in his new role with the 76ers, Knicks fans were chanting “we don’t want you” at the veteran superstar on Tuesday due to an interview James conducted last month about his potential idea to join the Knicks this offseason before ultimately landing in Philadelphia.
James said he envisioned finishing his historic NBA career in New York before the Knicks ended their 53-year title drought against the San Antonio Spurs in June, but feared potential media backlash that he was ring-chasing as a reason for his mindset shift.
“Y’all wouldn’t have let me lay that down, at all,” James told ESPN in September, referring to the media at large. “But much respect to the Knicks, obviously. An unbelievable team, unbelievable players. Shout out Jalen Brunson. I love that guy, he’s unbelievable.”
“But, yeah, I’m happy where I’m at, and I’m looking forward to it,” James added.
James played 34 minutes in his 76ers debut against the Knicks on Tuesday night, as he scored 14 points (5-for-13 shooting) with nine rebounds and seven assists.
While the Knicks swept the 76ers’ core of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe in the playoffs on the way to their title last season, Embiid said things felt drastically different on Tuesday due to the team’s addition of two former Finals MVPs in James and Jaylen Brown, who was traded from the Boston Celtics in July.
“I told Tyrese after the game, we’ve been going against these guys for the last couple years, but tonight felt a little different than the past,” Embiid told reporters in his postgame availability, per ESPN’s Kris Rhim.
“I think just we have the talent,” Embiid continued. “I think a lot of it falls on me. I put it on me. If I want to be All-Defense like I used to be, that changes everything for our team. So if I can play that way every single night, which I will, changes everything.”
The 76ers host James’ former Cleveland Cavaliers team in their home opener on Thursday night, while New York’s next opportunity to get its first win of the season will not come until a road matchup versus the Boston Celtics on Friday night.
