LeBron James opens 76ers career with 10 points in preseason loss to Nets

LeBron James began his Philadelphia 76ers playing career with a preseason defeat, scoring 10 points as his new team lost 114-108 to the Brooklyn Nets. BBC Sport reported that the 41-year-old played 18 minutes in the first half, adding four rebounds, five assists and a steal as he made his first appearance for the franchise he joined in July.

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James said the players were still learning how to help one another succeed and how to make their roles fit together on the court. He described the performance as something the team could build on, while acknowledging that developing those connections would take time. His assessment followed an opening outing alongside several new team-mates, rather than a regular-season appearance.

Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown featured alongside James in the Philadelphia line-up, according to the BBC report. Brown led the scoring with 18 points. James's contribution included both scoring and playmaking during his limited first-half minutes, but Philadelphia finished six points behind Brooklyn in the preseason meeting. The result marked a losing start to this stage of his career.

The move to Philadelphia followed eight years with the Los Angeles Lakers. James has said the contract he signed with the 76ers will be his last in the NBA. He is preparing for a record-extending 24th season in the league, which he enters as its all-time leading points scorer, with the change of team coming late in an already lengthy career.

James has won championships with each of his previous NBA teams. He claimed two titles with the Miami Heat, one with the Cleveland Cavaliers and another with the Lakers. Philadelphia now offers a fourth franchise with which to pursue a championship, and he is aiming to help the 76ers secure their first NBA title in 43 years.

His individual record also includes four NBA Most Valuable Player awards, all won between 2009 and 2013, and All-Star selections in each of the past 22 seasons. Those achievements form the background to his Philadelphia arrival, but his comments after the debut focused on the work still required to establish an effective partnership with his new team-mates.