LeBron gets the last laugh in his Sixers debut after boos, chants, and a heated back-and-forth with Knicks fans
The Akron, Ohio, native heard quite a bit from New York Knicks fans as he and the Sixers spoiled the Knicks’ banner night.
LeBron James may live in New York and play for Philly — but he’s still reminding fans that he’s just a kid from Akron, Ohio.
In his Sixers debut, the 22-time NBA All-Star was greeted with boos from Knicks fans at Madison Square Garden. The warm welcome didn’t stop there, partially because of James admitting in the offseason that he was planning on signing with the Knicks if they didn’t win the championship last season.
Then, with James at the free-throw line in the first half, Knicks fans chanted, “We don’t want you,” to try to further get his skin.
But the most viral moment of the night came later in the first half of the Sixers’ 106-100 win. With the Knicks at the free-throw line, James got into a back-and-forth exchange with fans who were sitting near the court.
Knicks superfan and filmmaker Spike Lee appearing to play peacemaker in the confrontation, as James continued to engage with the fan. NBC play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico also weighed in on what he was hearing from the crowd, including a fan talking about James’ helicopter commute between New York and Philadelphia.
“I heard a guy yell behind me say, ‘Hey, LeBron, just because you have a helicopter and you live in New York doesn’t mean we’re going to cheer for you,’” Tirico said.
Now, thanks to some fan video, we have an idea of what the Sixers star was firing back at the crowd. And it turns out, it’s about where he’s from after a fan apparently called him “soft.”
“Ain’t nothing soft in the Midwest,” James appears to say. “I don’t know what the f— you talking about. I’m not from the West Coast. I’m from Ohio, baby. … I’m Ohio, baby. F— is you talking about?”
James, who grew up in Akron and won a championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, finished with 14 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists.
Beat reporters Gina Mizell and Chris Hine break down their most intriguing quotes from LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey during the preseason, along with what they most hope to learn about this revamped roster during the first month of the season. Watch here.
Watch the full interview below and subscribe to the Sixers Extra podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
