The answers Anfernee Simons gamely tried to offer about the first day of 76ers training camp were suddenly drowned out by the furious whirring overhead of a helicopter leaving the team’s complex.
asserted
Simons → try → complex
James indeed used the rotorcraft for the rich to take him after practice from New Jersey to presumably close to wherever he decided to live in New York.
asserted
he → use → York
The helicopter noises are usually reserved for when billionaire team owner Josh Harris lands at the complex for the NBA draft or a major news conference.
asserted
Harris → reserve → draft
The Sixers were quickly caught in the whirlwind of the first days of the LeBron Effect, even as a pair of players and coach Nick Nurse professed all was good on the court.
asserted
all → catch → court
Sixers staff moved the news conference backdrop from a corner where a few dozen reporters are usually stuffed to shout questions at Joel Embiid or Tyrese Maxey to a spot closer toward midcourt for a roomier feel for the more than 50 credentialed reporters, bloggers, TV camera operators and more that came to get an early report card on James’ official first day as a Sixer.
asserted
that → move → Sixer
James was gone Tuesday by the time media was allowed on the court to watch practice.
asserted
media → go → practice
Embiid, Maxey, former Boston star Jaylen Brown, they were all absent, too, a day after holding court on media day.
asserted
they → hold → day
Nurse is starting his fourth season as coach of the Sixers.
asserted
Nurse → start → Sixers
He’s used to handling the demands that come with working in a major market and dealing with star players in Philly such as with Embiid and his daily injury report or the high drama that surrounded former Sixer James Harden.
asserted
that → ’ → Harden
Nurse did say he had conversations with the team about looking out for each other and staying connected while navigating a spotlight season — especially early — that already has a postseason-type of aura around the franchise before the Sixers even played a game.
asserted
Sixers → say → game
“It is going to be different,” Nurse said.
asserted
Nurse → go → ?
It’s the same, just a little more.
asserted
It → ’ → ?
I’m just trying to get to the practice floor and to the game floor.
asserted
I → try → floor
If we can do those two things, all that other stuff, we’ll just kind of handle it as smoothly as we can.”
asserted
we → do → it
Nurse called the sight of so much talent “impressive” once the Sixers hit the floor for practice.
asserted
Sixers → call → practice
Embiid has certainly built a strong case.
asserted
Embiid → build → case
Maxey earned his first All-Star start last season and has blossomed into an elite talent.
asserted
Maxey → earn → talent
VJ Edgecombe was third in rookie of the year voting last season and his buoyant personality and defensive playmaking made him an instant fan favorite and immediate force in helping the Sixers return last season to the playoffs.
asserted
Sixers → make → playoffs
Edgecombe worked out with James over the summer and volunteered that he orchestrated the starting five group text thread — well, once he asked Maxey for James’ number.
asserted
he → work → number
Yet the magnitude of the moment truly hit him ahead of practice when James put on his No. 23 jersey in the same locker room as Edgecombe.
asserted
James → hit → Edgecombe
The 21-year-old Edgecombe tried not to get starstruck.
asserted
Edgecombe → try → ?
He called James a teammate, a brother, a Sixer who will fight on the court side by side with them to chase the franchise’s first championship since 1983.
asserted
who → call → 1983
But he’s still LeBron James.
asserted
he → ’ → ?
“It’s like, damn, that’s still Bron,” Edgecombe said with a laugh.
asserted
Edgecombe → ’ → laugh
“He was in the locker room and I’m like, oh, that’s Bron over there.
asserted
that → ’m → room
He dapped me up, he’s like, ‘what up? what up?’
asserted
he → dap → me
We know each other for a minute.”
asserted
We → know → minute
Edgecombe smiled as he tried to convince himself he’s expunged the fan boy from his system.
asserted
he → smile → system
“I ain’t gonna be like that no more,” Edgecombe said to laughter.
asserted
Edgecombe → go → laughter
True to his word, Edgecombe said he had to get loud during practice and give James some defensive instruction on when to switch off.
asserted
he → say → instruction
“We forgot.
asserted
We → forget → ?
We messed up a switch,” Edgecombe said.
asserted
Edgecombe → mess → switch
“But that’s what happens.
asserted
what → ’ → ?
We’re getting to know each other.
asserted
We → get → other
It’s a new system for him.
asserted
It → ’ → him
It was soon time for James to fly home — all while the Sixers basked in the successful first day of what could be the NBA ride of a lifetime.
___
uncertain
what → fly → lifetime
The Aporia
