Picture explaining this to someone who just woke up from a long nap: LeBron James is a Philadelphia 76er. He's 41. He took the league minimum. And he takes a helicopter home from practice.

All true, per ESPN. The NBA's regular season starts Tuesday, and the league's most famous player begins his NBA-record 24th season in a brand-new city, on the court where the other team will be celebrating a title.

The home debut was a whole vibe

Friday was LeBron's first game in Philadelphia as a Sixer, a preseason finale against Boston. It still sold out: 19,746 fans showed up, according to ESPN. He did his famous chalk toss. The PA announcer gave him the full "from St. Vincent-St. Mary's" treatment. Kids hung over the tunnel begging for photos, and he invited a couple of them onto the bench for a picture.

Then came the moment everybody's phone was ready for. Tyrese Maxey, the close friend LeBron has credited with helping recruit him to Philly, lobbed a pass from half court, and LeBron threw it down with two hands. The building lost it.

"This is a connection that we have," James said, per ESPN.

The helicopter thing? He flies from the team's New Jersey practice facility to a helipad in New York, and it's been loud enough to drown out teammates' post-practice interviews. "I've done it before," James said. "Just another way of transportation. That's all."

A superteam that's still learning names

This roster is stacked. LeBron, Maxey, Joel Embiid and Jaylen Brown, the 2024 Finals MVP who came over from Boston this summer, all played big minutes Friday. Embiid was the best of them, with 27 points, eight rebounds and five assists, plus a dunk he clearly enjoyed.

"It's good to dunk. I thought I would never dunk again," Embiid said with a smile, per ESPN. "I guess I don't know what happened. I kind of got possessed."

But Boston won 125-120 in overtime, mostly with its reserves, and the Sixers looked like what they are: a group project where everyone just met. Brown pointed to spacing problems and turnovers.

"We're getting there," James said. "We're a couple of weeks in. We're still working on our rhythm, working on our kinks. It's not going to be perfect."

Embiid isn't worried about whose turn it is to shoot, either. "I'm against the concept of sacrificing," he said. "I don't think anybody has to take a back seat."

Opening night is pure drama

The schedule makers did not hold back. The Sixers open Tuesday at 5 p.m. MT at Madison Square Garden, where the Knicks will raise their championship banner first. So LeBron's first official game in Philly colours comes while the defending champs throw a party. New York spent Saturday finalizing its roster, keeping center James Wiseman and waiving Bruce Brown, ESPN reported.

The nightcap: Oklahoma City visits San Antonio at 7:30 p.m. MT. The Spurs will start three guards (De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper) next to Victor Wembanyama. "When it clicked, it clicked," Wembanyama said of the lineup, per ESPN.

Why it matters

LeBron spent the last eight seasons with the Lakers. Now he's chasing one more run in a city that doesn't exactly do patience. If this works, it's the story of the season. If it doesn't, well, Philly fans will let everyone know.

The Sixers' home opener is Thursday against Cleveland. Tip-off Tuesday. Pick your popcorn.