The Sixers didn’t need their 22-time All-Star to do it all Friday night.
Still, they needed him to be what everyone pictures when they hear LeBron James — no caveats about being almost 42 years old, saving his best for bigger games or memories of what he was once.
James provided exactly that, tallying 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in the 5-1 Sixers’ NBA Cup win over the Knicks at Xfinity Mobile Arena. He did much more than a little bit of everything.
“Best game all around,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said of James. “He’s been good, but that was his best game for sure.”
There have always been elements of James’ greatness that would stick out to someone who barely knew the rules of basketball. He’s a physical force who muscles through defenses, fires astounding passes and lofts in elegant fadeaway jumpers. James’ clutch plays Friday included a late mid-range bucket over OG Anunoby and a game-icing put-back layup with 11.9 seconds left off of Tyrese Maxey’s miss.
His game has always had a subtle side, too.
“Leadership,” Maxey said after his 27-point outing. “Calming presence. He helped get a lot of rebounds. He’d help get the ball and calm it down.
“He was great. At the end of the day, it’s LeBron James. At the end of the day, he can do stuff like he did tonight, getting a couple of big buckets.”
Maxey handled his postgame media duties in the Sixers’ locker room before James. The All-NBA guard was ready to go but realized he didn’t have a shirt, so James tossed him one. Though perhaps a bit baggy, it got the job done.
James has enjoyed his early days as Maxey’s teammates following years of summer workouts and mentorship.
“He has never been late for a workout,” James said. “This is Tyrese’s seventh year with the Sixers? We’ve worked out for six straight summers and he’s never been late. And he actually tried to beat me to a couple workouts, and he was successful. Then I started showing up a lot earlier and he was like, ‘OK, you’ve got it from there.’ But that’s when I knew he was going to be great.”
As the NBA’s all-time minutes leader, James has seen just about every scenario the Sixers might face this season.
He hasn’t been hesitant to share what he knows down the stretch of tight games.
“I guess the best teacher in life is experience,” he said. “I’ve been in really big games. If you’ve covered this sport, I think I’ve done some of (the most) huge games this sport has ever seen. For me to able to be a calming factor for our team late in the game, it’s just the experience that I have.
“If it’s me with the ball, me without the ball, being able to just put guys in the right positions, talking through it. If the other team makes a run, coming to the sideline: ‘You good? Let’s move on to the next play. Let’s figure out how we can be better for this play and the rest of the game.’ It’s something that I’ll continue to pour into the team.”
Some of those steadying words were vital for the Sixers on Friday.
They squandered a lead as high as 14 points. Knicks star Jalen Brunson nudged his way into the late-game limelight, as he so often does. The Sixers’ offense stalled for stretches of the second half and the Knicks beat them to crucial offensive rebounds. The game seemed like it might be slipping away.
James and the Sixers rescued it.
“He gives us tremendous leadership,” Nurse said. “He really helps with the organization on the floor. I think great players make those around them better, and I think he does that. And it’s in a lot of ways. It’s talking, it’s passing, it’s organization, it’s confidence.”
There’s a long, long way to go — James knows that as well as anyone — but the Sixers are tied for the Eastern Conference’s best record and he remains quite pleased with his free-agency choice.
“I’m having a great time,” James said. “I love what we’re bringing to the table every night. I love our competitive spirit. Guys show up to work, guys are ready to work hard.
“And it’s a fun group, too. … These guys are great to be around and I’m more than happy that I made the decision to come here.”
