LeBron James says his home debut was "everything that I dreamed of and more" after the Philadelphia 76ers turned boos into cheers by overhauling a 29-point deficit to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-106
It is the largest comeback win of James' 24-season NBA career and also the largest comeback by the 76ers in the play-by-play era, which began in 1996-97. Booed from the court after trailing 69-45 at half-time, Philadelphia took the lead for the first time with just under seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, with a spell of 15 unanswered points putting them 104-95 ahead.
Although the Cavaliers, one of James' three previous franchises, pulled it back to 106-102, the 76ers held firm having emphatically outscored their visitors 69-37 in the second half. James contributed 17 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three steals while fellow home debutant Jaylen Brown scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half, including 10 in the fourth quarter.
Tyrese Maxey top-scored for the Sixers with 32 points, with Joel Emiid adding 24. The result caps off a thrilling start for James at his fourth franchise, after the Sixers defeated the New York Knicks 106-100 on the opening night of the season to spoil the defending champions' homecoming.
However, he also had to respond to criticism from President Donald Trump, who labelled the 41-year-old a "total disgrace" for not standing still during the national anthem before Tuesday's win over the Knicks.