LeBron James is 41 and feeling young in Philly. He had his best game yet with the 76ers

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — LeBron James turns 42 in exactly two months and is in his record 24th NBA season. He's already played the best games of his career.

James delivered his best one yet — yes, in a short sample size — with the 76ers on Friday night.

James turned in a vintage performance against the NBA champion Knicks.

He bullied his way past Mikal Bridges in the post for a bucket in the first half and chased down OG Anunoby for a blocked shot in the third quarter, plays that served as early hints he still has elite game when the Sixers need it most.

After the Sixers let a 14-point lead slip away in the fourth, it was James — not Joel Embiid or even Tyrese Maxey — who closed out the champs.

James then capped his best game of the season with the go-ahead bucket with 1:10 remaining and V.J Edgecombe buried an insurance 3-pointer for the four-point lead. James sealed the 98-93 win in an NBA Cup group game with a tip-in and nearly pulled off a triple-double with nine rebounds and eight assists.

“He's been good,” coach Nick Nurse said, “but that was his best game for sure.”

There aren't many meaningful personal statistics for James to chase so this one will have to do: He tied Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the fifth-oldest player in NBA history to record a 20-point game.

They won't etch that one on the Hall of Fame plaque.

But a fifth NBA championship with his fourth team — after winning rings in Miami, Cleveland and with the Lakers — would be one for the record book.

The Sixers are off to a 5-1 start even with their regular starting five having started together only three times this season. They are already 2-0 this season against the NBA champion Knicks after beating them in New York on opening night.

James signed a free-agent deal with the Sixers in large part to have fun, play with close friends such as Maxey, and win. After the first month of the season, consider James undefeated in those categories.

“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. It's a fun group, too. I'm like a big-ass kid, to be completely honest. These guys are great to be around and I'm more than happy I made the decision to come here."

Embiid shot only 3 of 12 from the floor and scored only 10 points. Those are the type of numbers that doomed the Sixers for most of the last 10 years. Not this season. Not with Maxey dropping 27 points or Edgecombe stepping up like a seasoned veteran and burying the crucial late 3.

And certainly not with LeBron James in the lineup.

“I've been in some huge games this sport has ever seen,” James said. “For me to be able to be a calming factor for our team, late game, it's just the experience that I have. If that's me with the ball, me without the ball, being able to put guys in the right position. Just talk them through it.”

Maxey walked shirtless into the locker room and needed a cover-up before he talked to the media swarm in front of the team backdrop.

No worries.

James tossed Maxey a sleeveless Sixers shirt from his locker.

Just one more assist from James on his best night yet as a Sixer.

See AP’s full NBA coverage here

Philadelphia 76ers' VJ Edgecombe, right, looks at LeBron James, left, after James made a basket during the second half of an NBA Cup basketball game against the New York Knicks, Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Philadelphia 76ers' Tyrese Maxey dunks during the first half of an NBA Cup basketball game against the New York Knicks, Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

New York Knicks' Josh Hart, left, sits on the court after being fouled by Philadelphia 76ers' LeBron James (not shown) as teammates Karl-Anthony Towns, center, and Jalen Brunson, right, look to help him up during the second half of an NBA Cup basketball game, Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Philadelphia 76ers' LeBron James does his chalk toss prior to an NBA Cup basketball game against the New York Knicks, Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Philadelphia 76ers' LeBron James (23) does his chalk toss prior to an NBA Cup basketball game against the New York Knicks, Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Since losing both legs, Dmytro Bykhovchenko has become a meticulous planner.

The best route for every trip, access to cars, and the availability of ramps and handrails are all worked out in detail ahead of time.

This month, the 30-year-old completed his most ambitious plan yet, joining fellow Ukrainian war veterans in a grueling international fitness race in Valencia, Spain.

Known as HYROX, the competition combines eight 1-kilometer runs with eight punishing workouts, including sled pushes, rowing, weighted carries and sandbag lunges. Amputee athletes competed in the event’s disabled category.

As planned, Bykhovchenko finished the course, wheeling himself around the track and lowering himself to the ground for floor workouts.

“Sport just makes my days easier,” he told The Associated Press in an interview. “Mentally and morally, it really helps relieve my head, not to think about the bad things and generally look at life more positively.”

Bykhovchenko lost both legs three years ago during the Battle of Avdiivka, when a Russian drone dropped an explosive into his trench. Heavy fighting delayed his evacuation for hours.

For Bykhovchenko and his teammates, including veterans with multiple amputations, finishing the event marked a milestone in their recovery. It also carried a broader message about a country still fighting after more than 4 1/2 years of war.

“It means a lot to be here and show the world what a veteran of the Russia-Ukraine war is,” endurance athlete and team member Oleh Tserkovnyy said. “We want our actions to inspire the world.”

After leaving active duty, Tserkovnyy dedicated his time to helping veterans recover from serious injuries. In Valencia, he stood over Bykhovchenko, shouting words of encouragement as his teammate worked through the circuits.

Some team members were relatively new to sports and relied on trainers who volunteered hours to help them get into shape.

Yasia Shandrii, a fitness trainer in Kyiv, worked with Bykhovchenko ahead of the competition.

“The guys have quite a variety of amputations – double lower-limb amputations, single-leg amputations, high arm amputations, and below-the-knee amputations,” Shandrii said.

Bykhovchenko's training partner, Oleksandr Dashko, who had his left leg amputated due to a combat injury, said sports provided a welcome distraction from the war in Ukraine.

“Every meeting with your friends is about the war. The news on Instagram is about the war. The war is everywhere,” he said. “When I’m doing sports, when you work hard, not just during training but for several hours afterward, you forget about the war.”

Associated Press writer Derek Gatopoulos in Kyiv, Ukraine, contributed to this report.

Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Ukrainian veterans Oleksii Doroshenko, left, and Ivan Artiukh compete in the adaptive division during the HYROX event in Valencia, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Sáiz)

From left, Ukrainian veterans Dmytro Bykhovchenko, Oleh Tserkovnyy and Oleksii Doroshenko walk through Valencia, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Sáiz)

From left, Ukrainian veterans Dmytro Bykhovchenko, Ivan Artiukh and Oleksii Doroshenko warm up at the HYROX competition in Valencia, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Sáiz)

Ukrainian veterans Oleh Tserkovnyy, left, and Dmytro Bykhovchenko celebrate on the finish line during the HYROX competition in Valencia, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Sáiz)

Ukrainian veterans Oleksii Doroshenko, left, and Ivan Artiukh compete in the adaptive division during the HYROX event in Valencia, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Sáiz)

Dmytro Bykhovchenko, a Ukrainian war veteran, trains in a gym for the upcoming HYROX competition in Valencia, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)