The 76ers’ public address announcer ended a brief retirement over the summer in large part to get behind the mic and do what he did for the first time ahead of the team’s annual scrimmage.
asserted
he → end → scrimmage
Close to 10,000 fans who plunked down $10 a ticket on Saturday to essentially witness a glorified practice at the Sixers’ home arena went wild for James’ debut.
asserted
who → plunk → debut
No, James didn’t wear No. 23.
asserted
James → wear → .
He historically wore No. 6 over his career in practice gear but with that number retired in Philadelphia because of Julius Erving, James went with No. 9.
asserted
James → wear → .
No, the dunks and 3s and assists didn’t count in any official capacity.
asserted
dunks → count → capacity
And no, James wasn’t even introduced last.
asserted
James → introduce → ?
That honor remained reserved for Joel Embiid.
asserted
honor → reserve → Embiid
What the new 41-year-old on the block did do was give — along with Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe — a sneak preview that maybe, just maybe, the long underperforming Sixers might finally rise to the moment this season and meet their championship expectations.
uncertain
Sixers → give → expectations
“It was a great first step in a direction we’re trying to go,” James said.
asserted
James → try → direction
“It was great to hear some cheers from our fans.”
Sixers fans that crammed aisles and stairways trying to catch a first glimpse or a snapshot of James were shooed back to their seats.
asserted
that → hear → seats
Vendors hawked James merchandise outside the arena and told fans they could own the first pieces of his merchandise.
uncertain
they → hawk → merchandise
Sixers fans that inched near the court screamed and outright begged James to stop and turnaround and pose for pictures.
asserted
that → inch → pictures
They also crammed into team stores buying No. 23 jerseys.
asserted
They → cram → jerseys
The Sixers started the scrimmage early with what they hope is a familiar sight: Maxey in transition hit James for an alley-oop dunk.
asserted
Maxey → start → dunk
James hung and swung on the rim for a few seconds.
asserted
James → hang → seconds
James made a nifty behind-the-back pass to Edgecombe (who missed a corner 3) and even squared up and buried a long 3 from about Caitlin Clark range.
asserted
who → make → range
James did it all — he even bounced Maxey’s baby daughter, Marvel, on his knee for a moment on the bench.
asserted
he → do → bench
“Everybody’s been super welcoming,” James said.
asserted
James → say → ?
“I’ve been able to implement some things with my voice and just my command of how I play the game and my experience playing the game.
asserted
I → implement → game
I’m still getting more and more comfortable off the floor, with travel and without my family and things of that nature.
asserted
I → get → nature
That’s going to be a little bit of a challenge, but everything’s been good so far.
asserted
everything → go → challenge
The Sixers traditionally hold the scrimmage in Delaware on the home court of their G League team.
asserted
Sixers → hold → team
The Sixers donated 5,000 tickets to local community groups and Sixers Youth Foundation grantee partners and more than $80,000 was raised for the Sixers Youth Foundation.
asserted
80,000 → donate → Foundation
They are hovering around $1,000 a ticket for the 100 level on the secondary market for the Sixers’ Oct. 22 home opener against Cleveland.
asserted
They → hover → Cleveland
James was expected to play Monday in the first of four preseason games and mark the start of his record 24th NBA season.
asserted
James → expect → season
“It’d be good to get out there with some of our guys to just get a rhythm,” James said.
asserted
James → get → rhythm
We’re putting a lot into our practices right now.
asserted
We → put → practices
We’re fine-tuning what we want to do once the game comes.
asserted
game → tune → what
I think there will be opportunities once we get out there in the preseason.”
asserted
we → think → preseason
Philadelphia opens the season Oct. 20 in New York against the NBA champion Knicks.
asserted
Philadelphia → open → Knicks
James and the rest of the Sixers were encouraged that the oft-injured Embiid has been a full participant in camp and seems to be in leaner, lighter shape.
asserted
Embiid → encourage → shape
Embiid pulled off a driving left-handed dunk in the scrimmage and later joked; it was “probably the last dunk of my career.”
asserted
it → pull → career
Jerseys flew off the racks, Sixers flew through the air, and excitement swirled around the team and for all that James brings to the city.
asserted
James → fly → city
“They’ve welcomed me with open arms,” James said, “and I’m getting more and more comfortable every day.”
asserted
I → welcome → arms
The Aporia
