LeBron James nears record 24th season, with the Sixers ‘still working on our rhythm’

LeBron James is three days from becoming the first player to open a 24th NBA season, and he will do it in a jersey that is still new to him: the Philadelphia 76ers visit the New York Knicks on Tuesday, October 20, in his first regular-season game for the franchise.

The 41-year-old forward spent the preseason as a facilitator more than a scorer. In the finale on Friday, a 125-120 overtime loss to the Boston Celtics, he played 24 minutes and finished with eight points, eight rebounds and seven assists. He shot 4 of 9 from the field, missed both three-point tries and all three free throws, and committed four turnovers, yet Philadelphia outscored Boston by 17 points while he was on the floor.

James did not pretend the group is finished. Speaking after that game, he said the Sixers are “still working on our rhythm, working on our kinks,” and that the opening stretch will not be perfect. Joel Embiid led the team with 27 points that night, while Jaylen Brown pointed to spacing problems behind the turnovers.

A new city, and a new routine

The move east has been as much about life away from the court as about basketball. After the Blue x White scrimmage at Xfinity Mobile Arena on October 3, James told reporters the organization had made him feel welcome, but admitted that spending less time with his family, who remain in Los Angeles, is going to be “a bit of a challenge.” He said the daily rhythm with teammates, from practices to the locker room to plane rides, has made the adjustment easier.

He signed a two-year deal with Philadelphia this summer, with the second season a player option, and his contract on the books runs through June 2028. Tyrese Maxey, a close friend, was one of the voices who helped bring him to the Sixers.

What he brings from last season

Even at 41, James stayed productive last season, scoring 20.9 points a night with 7.2 assists and 6.1 boards over 60 appearances, and his true shooting sat at 59.4%. The Sixers do not need him to carry the scoring with Embiid, Maxey and Brown beside him. What they need is the playmaking he showed in the preseason, and a body that holds up across a long season, which is why the staff has managed his minutes with Tuesday in mind.

Every game he plays now extends a record. No player before him has reached a 24th season, and the next one will begin at Madison Square Garden against the defending champions.

What comes next

The 76ers open at the Knicks on Tuesday, October 20, at 7:00 p.m. ET. Follow it live in the Game Center.