NBA's LeBron James Posts 17 Points, 10 Rebounds in Home Opener as Philadelphia Rallies From 29 Points Down

"King" LeBron James recorded a double-double in his first home game since joining the Philadelphia 76ers, helping the team secure its second consecutive win to start the season.

Philadelphia defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-106 in a 2026-2027 NBA regular-season home game held at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the 23rd (KST).

Having emerged as a strong championship contender this season by acquiring James and Jaylen Brown, a key figure in Boston's 2024 championship run, Philadelphia picked up its second straight victory following its season opener on the road against the New York Knicks two days ago.

Cleveland suffered a defeat in its first game of the season.

While Tyrese Maxey led the victory with 32 points and 6 assists, Joel Embiid contributed 24 points and 7 rebounds, and Brown added 21 points and 8 rebounds, James delivered 17 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals in his debut appearance before home fans following his transfer.

Philadelphia struggled during the first half.

Out of 15 three-point attempts, they only made 4, and committed 14 turnovers.

With 1 minute and 12 seconds remaining in the second quarter, the deficit widened to as many as 29 points at 40-69, and they trailed heavily at 45-69 by halftime.

However, Philadelphia poured in 37 points in the third quarter to narrow the gap to 82-90. Trailing 89-95 in the fourth quarter, they sparked a massive 15-0 run starting with Embiid's three-point play, taking a 104-95 lead with 4 minutes and 6 seconds left to completely turn the game around and secure a thrilling comeback victory.

The Associated Press reported that Philadelphia's win on this day marked the largest comeback victory of James' career.

Meanwhile, ahead of the game, James faced public criticism from President Donald Trump.

Trump, who has a history of friction with James, posted a video on social media platform Truth Social showing James practicing golf swings or shooting drills while the U.S. national anthem was played before the New York game, criticizing him by writing, "James is insulting our country."

ESPN and other outlets reported that after the game against Philadelphia, James responded to the controversy by saying, "It must have been a slow news day."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.