LeBron James and the new-look 76ers took the court in Philadelphia for the team’s annual blue and white scrimmage, giving a sold-out crowd its first chance to see the new roster in action.
Fans packed the arena and the parking lot in South Philadelphia for the scrimmage, which was held there for the first time. For some fans, the atmosphere already felt like the regular season.
“It’s cool, it felt like a regular game,” John Busa of Broomall said.
The scrimmage was fans’ first chance to see the team since James, Jaylen Brown and others were added to the roster.
“The guys looked like a well-oiled machine right now, trying to get the bugs out, so hopefully come the regular season we can be heading toward another parade on Broad Street,” Darnell Ware of North Philadelphia said.
Lucia Brosso of Gladwyne was excited to see James take the court.
“It was so cool, it was amazing, it’s LeBron James and he’s playing…so cool,” Brosso said.
James said the scrimmage gave the Sixers a chance to show fans what the team has been working on.
“It was fun to play for some of our Philly faithful..show them what we’ve done on the practice floor, take it to the game great first step in where we want to go,” James said.
Point guard Tyrese Maxey also had a memorable moment off the court, holding up his baby daughter for fans to see.
Fans left the scrimmage with plenty of optimism about the season ahead.
“A good season, I’m hoping we win the NBA Finals this year,” Luke Neubert of Malvern said.
The Sixers’ first preseason game is Monday. The regular season begins Oct. 20, 2026.
Tickets to the blue and white scrimmage cost $10, with proceeds going to the Sixers Youth Foundation.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC Philadelphia. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC Philadelphia journalist edited the article for publication.
