LeBron James talks smack with Knicks fans in victorious 76ers debut

Inquirer.net - Oct 21, 2026

NEW YORK — LeBron James got the business from Knicks fans still gloating and riding an emotional high from an NBA championship banner celebration. As he stepped to the free-throw line for the Philadelphia 76ers early in Tuesday night’s season opener, Knicks fans erupted toward James with chants of “We don’t want you! We don’t

Read full article

MORE NEWS

LeBron James talks smack with Knicks fans, drops 14 points in victorious 76ers debut
Oct 21, 2026

LeBron James talks smack with Knicks fans, drops 14 points in victorious 76ers debut

NEW YORK — LeBron James got the business from Knicks fans still gloating and riding an emotional high from an NBA championship banner celebration. As he stepped to the free-throw line for the Philadelphia 76ers early in Tuesday night's season opener, Knicks fans erupted toward James with chants of “We don’t want you! We don’t want you!” Such a rude reception from New Yorkers to one of the city’s newest residents. The shouts of rejection came in part because there was a plausible scenario under which James would have opened the season at Madison Square Garden in a Knicks uniform. James and his agent, Rich Paul, had said the Knicks would have been James’ first choice in free agency had New York not won its first NBA championship since 1973 last season. Knicks fans said, we’re good. The 41-year-old James got the final word as the Sixers won 106-100. James talked smack with fans in the lower level. Yes, that was Spike Lee trying to play peacemaker. James finished with 14 points and nine rebounds and had plenty of help in getting the W from new Sixers and holdovers. Tyrese Maxey scored 28 points, Jaylen Brown had 19, Joel Embiid had 13 points and 11 rebounds, and the Sixers ruined the Knicks’ championship party. A good night in New York totally spoiled? Not quite, according to James. “I wouldn't say that,” James said. “It was a great night for New York fans. Fifty-plus years. I was a part of that at one point where we hadn't won a major championship in Cleveland in over 50 years. The fans will never forget this moment.” James' first basket for the Sixers was not nearly as memorable. He took a feed from Embiid in the paint and went up strong for an uncontested right-handed layup. Just two points. Just one bucket of what the Sixers expect to be many, many more over the next two seasons as the NBA's career scoring leader opened his record 24th season. Embiid appeared to wonder during the national anthem where the Knicks' championship banner was hanging in the rafters as James sat nearby on the bench with his head bowed and hands clasped. The banner was indeed raised in a pregame ceremony. It's the same kind of celebration the 76ers expect James, Embiid and the rest of a stout starting lineup to deliver on opening night next season. It's the thrill of the chase, to end a championship drought — much like he did to break that drought in Cleveland — that in part drives James to keep playing after racking up a list of accomplishments unrivaled by his peers. Sixers hope new starting five can jell and make title run The Sixers got a first look at the potent lineup they put together this summer in hopes of winning their first title since 1983. James and a fellow All-Star in Brown started alongside holdovers Embiid, Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. There are some questions about how that All-Star starting four plus Edgecombe will coexist when all have been the primary ballhandlers on their respective teams in the past. Who gets the ball in crunch time? Who has to sacrifice the most? Who has the most to gain? Watching the answers unfold in real time will be fascinating for the Sixers and their fans. The chemistry looked strong throughout the night. James hit Brown cutting to the basket to earn the assist on the former Celtics star's first points with the Sixers. The Sixers closed the third quarter with an 11-0 run, capped by Brown’s second straight 3-pointer that came at the buzzer and gave Philadelphia an 83-76 lead. “We did that on the fly,” James said. The offseason all the way through the countdown to the Sixers' home opener Thursday against Cleveland has been a swirl of excitement in Philadelphia. James jerseys are flying off the racks. Murals of him have popped up all over the city. He drew more than 10,000 fans to a public scrimmage and preseason games were sold out. There's a fascination with his helicopter rides from the Sixers' facility in New Jersey to New York. Even his younger teammates admitted to being a bit awestruck when they first met James. The Sixers entered the Garden almost unrecognizable from when they played there in early May in a second-round playoff series. They lost twice in New York and the Knicks finished the sweep in Philadelphia. The Sixers loaded up with talent and pushed the payroll so they could challenge the Knicks. “It's certainly been fun these first few weeks,” coach Nick Nurse said. “These guys have been really great.” There's not much left for James to accomplish, except win that fifth ring. Philadelphia is waiting.

Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder roll past Spurs 116-104 in first matchup since conference finals defeat
Oct 21, 2026

Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder roll past Spurs 116-104 in first matchup since conference finals defeat

SAN ANTONIO — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 32 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder opened their season with a 116-104 victory over the San Antonio Spurs, the team that ended their dreams of a title defense last season. San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama had 12 points but was 1 for 13 from the field. It was his fewest field goals since going 2 for 5 against Minnesota on May 10. Wembanyama's lone field goal came on an alley-oop pass from De’Aaron Fox as time expired in the third quarter. Wembanyama missed his first 12 shots, including having an alley-oop attempt blocked by 7-foot-3 rookie Aday Mara. Jared McCain added 20 points on 6-for-8 shooting on 3-pointers as Oklahoma City led for all but the opening five minutes of the game. The Spurs beat the Thunder 111-103 in Oklahoma City in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals on May 30 in their previous matchup. Nearly five months apart did not cool this heated rivalry. Three minutes into the second quarter Fox received a Flagrant Foul 1 for tossing Chet Holmgren to the court after they became entangled in the paint. The body slam led to a huge scrum with Wembanyama and Jaylin Williams having to be separated after pushing each other. Wembanyama, Williams, Jalen Williams and Kenrich Williams each received a technical for the dust up. Oklahoma City went on a 9-0 run after the scuffle with Jalen and Kenrich Williams accounting for five points. Harrison Barnes' 3-pointer ended the run, but the Thunder responded by scoring 13 straight capped by Cason Wallace's 3-pointer for a 59-33 lead. Oklahoma City outscored San Antonio 31-16 in the second quarter in taking a 65-44 lead at the half. The Spurs opened the second half on a 23-9 run to pull within single digits after trailing by 26 in the first half. Gilgeous-Alexander and McCain stepped up when San Antonio pulled close, combining for 25 points in the second half. Up next Thunder: Host Denver on Thursday night. Spurs: Host Houston in Austin on Friday night.

Pedro Taduran to defend IBF belt vs. unbeaten Spanish challenger
Oct 21, 2026

Pedro Taduran to defend IBF belt vs. unbeaten Spanish challenger

Reigning IBF minimumweight king Pedro “Kid Heneral” Taduran will put his world title on the line on November 8 (Philippine time) as he takes on undefeated Spanish challenger Brandon Moreno in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Who is Diana Shnaider? Alex Eala's second-round foe at Ningbo Open
Oct 21, 2026

Who is Diana Shnaider? Alex Eala's second-round foe at Ningbo Open

Alex Eala will look to keep her Ningbo Open campaign rolling, but standing in her way is Russian powerhouse Diana Shnaider in their second-round showdown set on Wednesday at the Ningbo Tennis Center.

NBA: Thunder withstand Spurs rally in Western Conference finals rematch
Oct 21, 2026

NBA: Thunder withstand Spurs rally in Western Conference finals rematch

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 32 points as the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder built a huge first-half lead and held on for a 116-104 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday in the season opener between last year's top two teams in the Western Conference.

Backstroke specialist gifts PH second gold from Asian Para Games swimming
Oct 21, 2026

Backstroke specialist gifts PH second gold from Asian Para Games swimming

NAGOYA—Team Philippines got a second gold in the pool on Tuesday after Ariel Joseph Alegarbes seized the men’s 100-meter backstroke S14 title in the Asian Para Games, coming a day after another shark, Ernie Gawilan, broke the ice for the determined Filipino contingent. After having the second-fastest time in qualifying, the 21-year-old native of Victoria

Brilliant Bella saves Solar Spikers in another five-setter
Oct 21, 2026

Brilliant Bella saves Solar Spikers in another five-setter

Despite playing a big role in Capital1’s second straight win, Vanie Gandler was quick to deflect all credit to “ever-reliable” teammate Bella Belen after the Solar Spikers survived another five-set thriller in the PVL All-Filipino Conference Siklab Series. “I’m very grateful, of course, that Bella’s able to hold our ground while I’m still trying to

UAAP: Maroons put three-game streak on the line vs Tigers
Oct 21, 2026

UAAP: Maroons put three-game streak on the line vs Tigers

SCHEDULE: UAAP Season 89  basketball tournament – first round University of the Philippines seeks a repeat over a University of Santo Tomas side that could be coming in at full force for their rematch on Wednesday as second-round action in Season 89 of the UAAP men’s basketball tournament starts at Mall of Asia Arena. Hot

Manotoc shares South Pacific lead
Oct 21, 2026

Manotoc shares South Pacific lead

Gab Manotoc hasn’t opened a pro tournament in this swashbuckling way before, but swears he’s had better ball-striking days. “Scoring was pretty good out there for me today; that’s the difference,” the 29-year-old Manotoc told the Inquirer after carving out a bogey-free six-under-par 66 on Tuesday as the P2.5-million ICTSI South Pacific Championship got underway

Japan win men's team gold at world gymnastics championships
Oct 21, 2026

Japan win men's team gold at world gymnastics championships

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands — Japan won the men's team title at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Rotterdam on Tuesday, with Daiki Hashimoto producing a standout display as he helped his country finish ahead of Russia and China. The battle for gold went down to the final of six rotations, with Japan and China separated by a mere one-tenth of a point, while Russia remained in contention, a further half point back. Japan prevailed under pressure, thanks in large part to an excellent routine from Hashimoto on the horizontal bar. China's hopes were damaged when Yang Haonan made two costly mistakes in the floor exercise, stepping out of bounds before landing on his hands. The errors opened the door for Russia to snatch silver, led by the consistency of Daniel Marinov across the parallel bars, vault and floor. The top three teams secured the first qualification places for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Britain missed out on the podium after finishing in fourth place. The team final also offered a glimpse of Thursday's individual all-around competition, where a much-anticipated duel is expected between defending world champion Hashimoto and his Japanese teammate Shinnosuke Oka, the Olympic champion. With China's Zhang Boheng, who beat both Japanese gymnasts at last month's Asian Games, sidelined by injury, the Russians could emerge as the main challengers. Marinov and 18-year-old Arsenii Dukhno, who finished third in qualification behind the two Japanese gymnasts on his senior world championship debut, both delivered solid performances in Rotterdam's Ahoy Arena. The competition continues on Wednesday with the women's team final, where China and the United States start as the favourites. The USA are bidding to extend a team winning streak that began at the 2011 world championships.

NBA scores today: 76ers vs Knicks, Thunder vs Spurs, Pistons vs Celtics
Oct 21, 2026

NBA scores today: 76ers vs Knicks, Thunder vs Spurs, Pistons vs Celtics

Here are the scores of the NBA games on opening night, October 20, 2026 (US time). Pistons vs Celtics, 76ers vs Knicks, Thunder vs Spurs

NBA: Tyrese Maxey, new-look 76ers ruin Knicks' season-opening celebration
Oct 21, 2026

NBA: Tyrese Maxey, new-look 76ers ruin Knicks' season-opening celebration

Tyrese Maxey scored a game-high 28 points Tuesday night for the visiting Philadelphia 76ers, who spoiled the New York Knicks' ring and banner-raising ceremony with a 106-100 victory in the season opener for both teams.

RECOMMENDED