October 09, 2026
John Jones/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
LeBron James made his Sixers preseason debut on Thursday night.
NEW YORK – Consider the 2026-27 Sixers one meaningful step into their journey.
"I think it's some good, some bad," Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said after all five of his starters shared the floor for the first time in Thursday's preseason loss to the Brooklyn Nets. "It was good to get them out there for the first time, obviously, that's kind of what the preseason is for. I think there was some really good things happening right off the bat, a bunch of back cuts and good passing. But I think it got, there were segments where we turned the ball over a lot, which you can never do. It was just a little clunky in segments, too, but again, it's preseason, it's the first time their together, I think, you look at it as what's good, and what are the learning experiences, things that we can improve on, and just try to get them together as much as we can in the next time we get that chance and in practice."
With an initial onslaught of offensive highlights, the Sixers' star-studded starting lineup looked dominant from the outset. But 11 second-quarter turnovers left a poor taste in the mouths of a group that only shared the floor at the start and finish of the first half.
"It should take a while for everybody to get on the same page," Joel Embiid said after committing eight turnovers in 24 minutes, "but we're going to get there. So yeah, just taking it day by day and go from there."
Highlights and lowlights from the Sixers' second of four preseason exhibitions, with thoughts from the players themselves:
The Sixers' offensive operation was far from perfect on Thursday, but in its moments of brilliance, the 41-year-old James was picking apart Brooklyn's defense as a passer. He totaled five assists, all of which came in the opening frame before the Sixers experienced significant turnover issues:
All five of LeBron James' first-quarter assists in his Sixers preseason debut: pic.twitter.com/K0hGMnT11G
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) October 9, 2026
James has been there and done that; there is no situation he has not experienced before. The communication skills of the NBA's all-time leading scorer are already showing up for the Sixers.
"Yeah, I think [James] helps both offensively and defensively," VJ Edgecombe said. "Defensively, he's loud, he's talking... And then offensively, he just creates plays. And obviously, he just requires so much gravity, everyone else gets open and he don't care who scores. He already got the record. He don't care to score anymore."
MORE: LeBron James cements himself as the Sixers' quarterback in preseason debut
Embiid was far and away the worst of the Sixers' five starters on Thursday. He was not perturbed by his performance – most Sixers agreed their turnovers came as a result of being too selfless; Edgecombe called them "we’re-trying-to-pass-to-each-other type of turnovers."
Embiid smiled as he acknowledged that his first game each season often looks like a mess.
This was certainly a mess:
Joel Embiid had a rough preseason debut, committing eight turnovers: pic.twitter.com/3bVcef6snF
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) October 9, 2026
“Yeah, just take care of the ball, obviously. It’s the preseason, especially for me, I've got to do a better job of taking care of the ball," Embiid said. "But [it was the] first game, my first few games usually every year [are like this]. So yeah, it's going to take a few games to get there and just got to do a better job.”
For whatever it is worth, Embiid was largely moving well and took plenty of unexpected falls, none of which seemed to have any impact on his mobility. That is often a marker Embiid cites when discussing his condition.
“I'm extremely happy that he was out there with the group," Nurse said, "and I thought he was playing very hard, which was great to see.”
MORE: Thoughts on each starter after first preseason game together
A batch of extra clips from Thursday's action:
Jaylen Brown on lurking around the dunker spot on plays like this: "I’ve played a lot of different spots my whole career. So, not something I'm unfamiliar with. I feel like at this point in my career, I can play from any position anywhere at any given time and be effective." pic.twitter.com/YYg4TL0gwS
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) October 9, 2026
LeBron James on Dean Wade: "He fits on any basketball team on the planet. Got to have guys like that in order to win. But, I mean, he can play for any basketball team on the planet, and he'll fit right in." pic.twitter.com/zGQCdjHtaB
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) October 9, 2026
Labaron Philon Jr.'s first stint on Thursday night came alongside Tyrese Maxey, an interesting twist. Here, Philon brings the ball up, allowing Maxey to create an advantage off the catch. Philon floats into open space, leaving his defender behind, and buries a spot-up three: pic.twitter.com/IUUz8C6bD3
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) October 9, 2026
MORE: Jaylen Brown's scoring outburst, more highlights from Sixers' preseason opener
