PHILADELPHIA (AP) — LeBron James performed his famed chalk toss and was introduced to a roaring ovation on Friday night in his first preseason game for the 76ers in Philadelphia.
The 41-year-old James, who joined the 76ers this summer for his NBA-record 24th season, brought the crowd to its feet early when he finished a dunk against the Boston Celtics off a half-court lob pass from All-Star Tyrese Maxey.
Just wait until it counts.
Public address announcer Matt Cord offered a full-throated “At 6-9, from St. Vincent-St. Mary’s, No. 23, LeBron James! James!” for the intros. Joel Embiid still got the final introduction.
While nothing from this game will go down on James' stat sheet, Sixers fans had been waiting to catch a glimpse of him in his No. 23 jersey since he signed with the team in July. Scores of kids in Sixers jerseys crowded over the home team entrance canopy and screamed for James to stop for a picture or an autograph.
The arena ushers behind the Sixers' bench kept saying “Keep walking!” to the gaggle of fans and slow walkers who stopped to watch James in warmups. One constantly barked, “You can't stand here unless you've got a ticket!”
None of the stragglers had one.
James did welcome one boy and one girl to the bench with him after he finished shooting and posed for a quick photo.
The Sixers played all of their starters except for VJ Edgecombe. Jaylen Brown played against the Celtics for the first time since the 2024 NBA Finals MVP was traded to the Sixers in the offseason.
James sat out the Sixers' home preseason opener but played in a scrimmage that was open to the public and drew 10,000 fans.
He then made his preseason debut last week at Brooklyn. He had 10 points, five assists and four rebounds in the first half.
The Sixers play their season opener on Tuesday against New York at Madison Square Garden, where the Knicks will raise the banner to celebrate their NBA championship. Philadelphia's home opener is Thursday against Cleveland, followed by back-to-back games over the weekend.
James spent the last eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers before signing a two-year deal with the Sixers for the league minimum.
See AP’s full NBA coverage here
Philadelphia 76ers' LeBron James warms up before a preseason NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Philadelphia 76ers' LeBron James watches warm-ups before a preseason NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Philadelphia 76ers' LeBron James warms up before a preseason NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — A fast-moving fire burned at least six homes in hot Southern California winds Friday, prompting evacuations and power outages, authorities said.
TV footage showed homes engulfed in flames in San Juan Capistrano in Orange County. Firefighters sprayed two-story suburban homes with flames leaping out of their roofs. Black smoke billowed over tennis courts and backyard swimming pools.
Over 500 firefighters were battling the blaze that had grown to nearly 3/4 of a square mile (nearly 2 square kilometers), said Capt. Steve Concialdi, a spokesman with the Orange County Fire Authority.
“We’re doing everything we can to protect structures,” he told KTLA-TV. The Orange County Fire Authority could not be immediately reached by phone.
An evacuation shelter has opened in each city.
The Norte fire started in the coastal city of San Clemente and wind drove it into San Juan Capistrano. It was one of several fires in the region hit by dry, warm gusts known as Santa Anas, which blow from the interior and toward the coast. The strongest winds were expected through Friday afternoon but conditions that increase the fire risk were expected to last through Saturday night.
Tens of thousands of people in the state are without power after their electricity was turned off. A separate fire shut down a section of Interstate 5 that is a major artery connecting Orange County to San Diego, adding hours to commutes throughout Southern California.
The coastal cities are surrounded by hillsides. San Juan Capistrano, a city of 35,000, is known for horse trails and the historic Mission San Juan Capistrano. San Clemente, which is home to 62,000 people, is known as a “Spanish village by the sea” and popular with beachgoers and surfers.
Thousands were being asked to evacuate, said Victor Cabral, a San Clemente council member.
“The fire is right up on the city,” he said. “It’s on the perimeter of our homes on the north end.”
Nine schools were also closed Friday in San Juan Capistrano, the Capistrano Unified School District said.
Howard Hart, a councilmember for San Juan Capistrano, said he and his wife doused their roof with water and moved propane tanks away from their home before they evacuated Friday with a to-go bag.
Laura Hart hasn't had to evacuate due to fire in the more than five decades she’s lived in the community, she said.
“This doesn’t usually happen to us, we usually see it on the news,” she said. “We always pray to God it’s not us, but yeah, it was today.”
The Bryson Fire that sparked Thursday in Malibu had died down significantly and firefighters on Friday were focused on mop-up and containment, officials said. The blaze prompted evacuation orders and warnings for a swath of the Santa Monica Mountains that covered more than 12,000 people.
Winds from 20 mph to 35 mph (32 kph to 56 kph) were expected Friday, with gusts forecast to reach 50 mph up to 70 mph (80 kph to 112 kph) in some areas, the National Weather Service said.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who faced criticism for her city's response to deadly fires in 2025, directed the fire department to deploy personnel and equipment ahead of the winds. The fire department also requested assistance from the state’s office of emergency services.
“It’s a pretty widespread event of elevated fire weather, so the whole SoCal region should really be on alert,” said Rose Schoenfeld, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
Firefighters on Friday worked to contain two other fires that had sparked Thursday afternoon and triggered evacuation orders in the city of Azusa, north of LA, and Camp Pendleton, near San Diego.
More than 200,000 customers in California were without electricity as of Friday, according to poweroutage.com.
Some of California’s worst wildfires have been sparked by power equipment, and utilities in recent years have begun proactively shutting off power in dry winds.
Farther south, a fire at the Marine Corps base Camp Pendleton threatened buildings and doubled in size over one day to more than 3 square miles (8 kilometers). The blaze crossed containment lines Friday morning, closing a section of the I-5 freeway as the fire burned steadily toward it.
In Northern California, some communities in the Sierra Nevada and its foothills began experiencing strong winds, high temperatures and low humidity Wednesday night.
The weather service issued a red flag warning for parts of central and Northern California through Friday morning, saying any fires would spread rapidly. Such warnings are issued when weather conditions create an increased risk of wildfires.
Customers from the Central Coast to the upper corners of the Sierra Nevada could be without power through Saturday afternoon, Pacific Gas and Electric Company said.
Rodriguez reported from San Francisco. Associated Press writer Jaimie Ding contributed from Los Angeles.
Resident Ephraim Taylor, grabs a garden hose in an effort to help with a wildfire spreading in his neighborhood, during the Norte Fire on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A firefighters works to douse a fire on the roof of a house engulfed in flames during the Norte Fire on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Firefighters work to douse a fire on house in flames during the Norte Fire on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The sun is obscured by smoke as firefighters work to save structures on Via La Mirada during the Norte fire in San Clemente, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026. (Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP)
Firefighters work to save structures on Via La Mirada during the Norte fire in San Clemente, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026. (Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP)
The Bryson Fire illuminates a ridge top on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Crews make a stand in front of the Bryson Fire on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Crews make a stand in front of the Bryson Fire on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A tanker drops retardant on the Peak Fire Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Azusa, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Hot spots glow across a hillside during the Bryson Fire in Malibu, Calif., Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
