Championships are not won on opening night, but you can beat the team who got the last one. That kind of victory can set the tone for an entire season. LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers did just that by knocking off the defending champion New York Knicks 106-100 to start the campaign.
James registered 14 points, nine rebounds, seven points, one steal, and one block in the 34 minutes played during his official debut for the 76ers. It was not a perfect night for him, and LeBron was a little slow out of the gates. However, the veteran star had to feel good about how everything went down by night's end.
It was a bold decision for him to leave a Los Angeles Lakers team with one of the best players in the world and the opportunity to improve the roster in the offseason. That would have been especially true if James was willing to give the Lakers a similar discount to what was afforded to the 76ers.
LeBron said it himself amid making the choice to join the 76ers: a championship was on his mind. The chance at ring number five took priority over pretty much everything else. James thought that could be had in Philadelphia. After the first game of 82, one would imagine he feels a little more vindicated in choosing Philly over Los Angeles.
LeBron James' championship dreams are alive and well in Philadelphia
This is not an invitation to plan the parade after one matchup. The NBA season is a marathon, not a sprint. Watching the 76ers wrestle away control of the game in the third quarter was impressive, though.
Still, there is much to consider for the bigger picture. Joel Embiid's health will always be the uncomfortable cloud hanging over the 76ers. The center depth behind the star big man is questionable, too.
There are also concerns of how everything gels long-term between all the stars and mouths to feed in Philadelphia. For at least one night here, the answer was fine enough.
The Knicks will be a measuring stick game for all the teams in the Eastern Conference throughout the 2026-27 campaign. Minus Mitchell Robinson, New York largely brought back everyone who truly mattered from last season. That is still mostly the team that was great enough to win a championship.
Perhaps the Lakers can beat the brakes off the Golden State Warriors tomorrow and inspire some hope of their own when it comes to the upside this season can have. For LeBron, it will not matter. The former franchise star got good reason to feel good about where he is now.
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