Free Republic

LeBron James impressed as he made his preseason debut for the Philadelphia 76ers following his blockbuster signing this summer. The 41-year-old joined the 76ers this summer for his NBA-record 24th season but his debut was forced to wait until Thursday night after he missed the Sixers' first preseason game against the New York Knicks through 'chronic arthritis' in his left foot. He finally made his first appearance with his new team Thursday night against the Brooklyn Nets, getting started on the expected final stop in his career.

The Philadelphia 76ers were among the teams hosting playoff games over the weekend that saw an increase in fan capacity in their arenas. The 76ers welcomed more than 11,000 at the Wells Fargo Center for their Game 1 matchup against the Washington Wizards. Philadelphia won the game 125-118. "I can’t believe that was 10,000, 11,000 [people]. There’s no way. I think we’re counting like the Republicans because it felt like 30,000 people in the stands. They were amazing," 76ers coach Doc Rivers said. "Let’s keep it going. It’s so nice to have that at home. (excerpt)