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LeBron James began his Philadelphia 76ers career with a win on one of the biggest nights in recent New York Knicks history.
The Sixers beat the defending champions 106-100 at Madison Square Garden, spoiling New York's ring ceremony and championship banner raising.
James finished his Philadelphia debut with 14 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists in 34 minutes.
The atmosphere was far from welcoming for LeBron. Knicks fans chanted "We don't want you!" while he was shooting free throws, and the 41-year-old was also seen exchanging words with a fan sitting courtside late in the second quarter.
"You don't know what the f*** you talkin' about," James allegedly told the fan. "I'm not from the West Coast. ... I'm from Ohio, baby. F*** is you talking about."
Despite the hostile reception and ruining the celebration on the court, James showed respect for the Knicks fans and the significance of the night afterward.
"It was a great night for New York fans," James said. "Obviously, it's something... 50+ years. I was a part of that at one point where we hadn't won a major championship in Cleveland in over 50 years. The fans will never forget this moment, will never forget that championship run.
"We were happy that we were just able to come and play on such a historical night, a historical building, and play the game we love."
The victory also marked a personal milestone for LeBron. After previous stops with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and Los Angeles Lakers, this was the first time in his career that he won his debut with a new NBA team.
LeBron explains how he plans to build championship habits in Philadelphia
Beyond the opening-night result, James also spoke about the leadership role he expects to play with a Sixers team built to compete for a championship.
Asked how his experience could help establish championship habits in Philadelphia, James pointed to accountability.
"It's just another guy that can hold guys accountable because they understand and see that the guy has gotten to the finish line and beyond the finish line," LeBron said. "I went through the ropes, so it definitely is very helpful.
"These guys that have been here are trying to build to get to that point. Obviously, this is a marathon, and we're not going to do it on day one or day four, five, six, seven, whatever the case may be.
"But the experience that we have and the experience that we have brought to this ball club, hopefully we can translate it to wins and more of a culture shock as well of how you prepare mentally being a champion."
James has won four NBA championships during his career and now joins a Philadelphia core featuring Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Jaylen Brown.
When asked how he has learned to build that type of culture over the years, the NBA's all-time leading scorer stressed that leadership starts with his own work.
"By going out and doing the shit that I preach," James said. "I'm there every day. I'm there before everybody gets to the gym, and I'm one of the last ones to leave.
"I work. I don't just tell guys to do it and not hold myself accountable. And if I'm not doing something, I want the guys to hold me accountable. I think that goes a long way."
Philadelphia will now return home for its next game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.