LeBron James Spoils Knicks' Banner Night on NBA Opening Day
LeBron James made his Philadelphia 76ers debut at Madison Square Garden, helping Philadelphia beat the defending-champion New York Knicks 106–100 and ruin their championship banner ceremony. Two other games also delivered drama: the Detroit Pistons upset the Boston Celtics 121–113 despite a 38-point debut from Paul George, while a brawl erupted during the Oklahoma City Thunder's 116–104 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
The 2026–27 NBA season opened with three headline games on the night of 20–21 October. The biggest storyline was LeBron James, 41, making his debut for the Philadelphia 76ers against the defending champion New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden — the very night New York raised its championship banner. James finished with 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, including a decisive block with 92 seconds remaining to preserve a six-point lead; Tyrese Maxey top-scored with 28 points as the Sixers won 106–100, handing the Knicks a bitter home defeat. In Boston, Paul George scored 38 points on debut for the Celtics but it was not enough: the Detroit Pistons rallied with a 23-0 scoring run in the fourth quarter to win 121–113, with Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren contributing 22 points apiece and Duncan Robinson adding 21 off the bench. In Oklahoma City, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander posted 32 points as the Thunder beat San Antonio 116–104, but the game was overshadowed by a physical altercation: De'Aaron Fox shoved Chet Holmgren to the ground, Jaylin Williams retaliated, and Victor Wembanyama waded in to defend his teammate, resulting in a flagrant foul on Fox and technical fouls on Wembanyama and three Thunder players. Wembanyama shot just 1-of-13 from the field but collected 13 rebounds and six blocks.
