LeBron James was welcomed to the Philadelphia uniform on Wednesday against the New York Knicks in true New York fashion. The 76ers stole the Knicks’ championship night with a 106-100 win.

The banner-raising ceremony pre-game still wasn’t enough to keep the fans in a loving spirit, as the confrontations between James and fans started early in the second quarter, when he was shouting at people sitting at the baseline of Madison Square Garden.

Eventually, a more personal confrontation seemingly began with a fan saying something about his West Coast history related to his time in Los Angeles with the Lakers. James responded with plenty of foul language.

“You don’t know what the f— you talkin’ about; I’m not from the West Coast. I’m from Ohio, baby. F— you talkin’ about,” seemed to be James’ response.

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The back-and-forth with the fans went on for a good chunk of the game, and it happened multiple times.

Apparently, Knicks superfan and celebrity Spike Lee tried to calm the tensions between James and the fans.

Eventually, James would end up dapping up the player he got into the confrontation with to ease the situation.

James has only had good things about New York, their arena, and their fans over the years. He even thought about playing for the Knicks when he said that he once dreamed of “finishing (his) career in the Garden.”

James had 19 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists in his first game playing for the 76ers. He did not make one of his three attempts from beyond the arc.

The 76ers will only have to wait a little over a week to let their own fans have their pick at the defending champion Knicks. The two teams play in the NBA Cup Group Stage on October 30.

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Robert Blute

Article by Robert Blute

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