▲ LeBron James
"King" LeBron James, who transferred to the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA, savored a thrilling victory in his 24th season and the opening game of the 2026-2027 season.
Philadelphia, which acquired James, secured a comeback victory of 106 to 100 against the defending champion New York Knicks in the NBA season opener held away at Madison Square Garden in New York State on the 21st (KST), clinching their first win.
Philadelphia, which was eliminated after suffering a comprehensive defeat to New York in the second round of the playoffs last season, proved that they are strong championship contenders this season after reorganizing their roster.
Starting alongside Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, and Tyrese Maxey, James contributed to the win with 14 points, 7 assists, and 9 rebounds.
Maxey poured in 28 points, while Brown, who transferred from the Boston Celtics, also injected energy into the team with 19 points and 6 assists.
Trailing 54 to 58 at halftime, Philadelphia limited New York to 18 points in the third quarter while exploding for 29 points to take an 83 to 76 lead.
A trailing New York pulled within one point at 95 to 96 with 4 minutes and 46 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter following a three-pointer by Karl-Anthony Towns.
However, Embiid immediately responded with a three-pointer, and with Edgecombe's free throws and Maxey's slam dunk rattling the rim, Philadelphia pulled away to 104 to 98.
After the game, James said in an interview with NBC, "I've only been with the new team for a little over two weeks, so I am still in the process of finding my rhythm," adding, "But I love the way our team plays and we put on a great performance."
New York's Jalen Brunson, who was named MVP along with winning the championship finals last season, scored 21 points, but shot just 31.6 percent from the field.
Before the game, New York held a celebration on their home court with a championship banner-raising ceremony from last season, but suffered a comeback loss due to low field-goal accuracy.
The Detroit Pistons claimed their first win of the season with a 121 to 113 comeback victory over the Boston Celtics.
Trailing 45 to 58 at halftime, Detroit launched a fierce pursuit starting in the third quarter.
Entering the fourth quarter having narrowed the gap to 6 points, Detroit took a 107 to 99 lead with 5 minutes and 10 seconds left in regulation, sparked by a go-ahead three-pointer from bench member Javonte Green (19 points), followed by a three-point play from Jalen Duren (22 points) and a three-pointer by Duncan Robinson (21 points).
36-year-old veteran Paul George, who transferred from Philadelphia to Boston ahead of this season, fought hard with 38 points, but could not rescue his team from the comeback defeat.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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