LeBron James has only been with the Philadelphia 76ers for one offseason, but he has already made it clear which teammate helped bring him there. After Friday night’s preseason finale against the Boston Celtics, James heaped praise on Tyrese Maxey, crediting the guard as a big part of why he chose Philadelphia.

“I work out with Tyrese every Sunday, so I already know what type of player he is,” James told NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I’m here a lot, but the reason why I’m here is because of him.”

"A lot of the reason why I'm here is because of him."

LeBron James speaks on his connection with Tyrese Maxey. pic.twitter.com/MOrzdXZA7a

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) October 17, 2026

The two connected on one of the night’s best plays. Early in the first quarter, James deflected a pass and took off down the floor, and Maxey floated a lob that James finished with a dunk in front of a roaring home crowd.

“We’re just hanging behind the defense, and Reese found me out there,” James said.

The 4-time NBA MVP added that the chemistry between the two is something the Sixers can lean on going forward. “It’s a connection that we have,” he said. “Some of the best things for us offensively is going to be to get up the floor. Pace and space. We have athleticism. We have guys that share the ball. We have guys that can attack the paint with the dribble, with the pass.”

The highlight was one of the few bright spots in the result column. Boston escaped with a 125-120 overtime win at Philadelphia, closing the preseason with a second victory over the Sixers after routing them 144-106 in Boston the previous weekend.

Article Continues Below

Maxey was sharp throughout, scoring 22 points on 7-of-11 shooting with six assists and a perfect 7-of-7 mark at the free-throw line. Joel Embiid also looked strong in 29 minutes, while James finished with eight points, eight rebounds and seven assists in 25 minutes in his first game in front of the Philadelphia crowd.

The production from the 25-year-old guard was a welcome sign after he struggled in the first meeting with Boston. Pairing his speed with James’ playmaking could give the Sixers a dangerous transition attack, which is exactly what James described as the team’s offensive identity.

The real test comes quickly. Philadelphia opens the regular season on Tuesday against the defending champion New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.