Sixers' star-studded roster fuels championship dreams after historic home opener
The Philadelphia 76ers have already made a splash this season with a huge win over the reigning NBA Finals champion New York Knicks and a historic comeback victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Boos rained down from fans at Xfinity Mobile Arena when the 76ers found themselves in a 29-point hole to the Cavs, threatening to spoil their home opener.
Until the Sixers pulled off the franchise's largest comeback since 1988.
The team's powerhouse starting five would storm back to win 114-106, sending fans into a frenzy.
"We got the big dogs now, we're gonna eat," one fan said. "Hopefully, at the end of the day, we're gonna look promising for the future. I'm hype for it."
Even the new kid on the block was impressed with the pure delirium that enveloped the arena.
"It was everything that I dreamed of, and more," four-time NBA MVP LeBron James said.
LeBron already has the 76ers and their fans dreaming of a championship.
Yes, it is just two games into a very, very long season, yet the Sixers have already met the moment of an unworldly hype that started over the summer when they traded for Celtics star Jaylen Brown and then reeled in the marquee attraction on the free-agent market in the 41-year-old James.
They bullied the NBA champion Knicks in New York and spoiled a banner-raising. Then came a win against the Cavaliers — last season's other Eastern Conference finalist — that already may be impossible for the Sixers to top this season, using a 21-minute stretch on Thursday night that whipped a 29-point hole into a nine-point lead and the biggest comeback victory of any team for James in his record 24th season.
"Just basically saying, let's see what we're made of at this point of the season," James said. "I don't think we've got a locker room full of lay-down guys. There's a lot of game to be played. We answered the call."
The Sixers' victory over the Knicks was the league's most-watched prime-time opening night game ever, peaking at 9.1 million viewers, according to the NBA.
Loaded with talent, locked in with a common goal, the Sixers are a sizzle reel of excitement and have put the league on notice they are coming for that title.
The Sixers have even put a smile on Joel Embiid's face. The longest-tenured Sixer and official poster boy of The Process — yes, he still heard "trust the process" chants at the free-throw line — found an early joy that had eluded him over recent years as injuries continued to rob him of games and meeting his true potential.
A two-time scoring champion, Embiid was in vintage form in the fourth. There was a three-point play, a rebound, a floater, a sweet 17-footer. A seven-point stretch that made it 76ers 96, Cavaliers 95, and the comeback was complete. Philadelphia never trailed again.
"I've been here for a long time," Embiid said, "and that was probably, not the best night, but top-five night for me since I've been in Philadelphia. That was great. I have no words. It was amazing."
Embiid and James — accused Thursday by President Trump of disrespecting the United States by not standing still during the national anthem — even laughed off the Philly boo birds that came late in the second half and the Sixers seemingly on the brink of wasting all the goodwill from their win over the Knicks.
"Got the boos," James said with a laugh. "That was amazing. We deserved it. Then we got the cheers and almost blew the roof off this thing tonight."