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Aman Sharma

By Aman Sharma

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LeBron James drew cheers in his first Cleveland visit as a Sixer, then delivered a game the 2010 crowd would have loved.

The Philadelphia 76ers fell 119-95 to the Cleveland Cavaliers in an NBA Cup matchup at Rocket Arena, according to ESPN. James finished with eight points on 3 of 12 shooting and coughed up six turnovers.

It also ended the 41-year-old’s run of 396 straight Cleveland games in double figures. His last single-digit outing in Cleveland came on Dec. 29, 2004, a day short of turning 20.

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James didn’t sugarcoat it.

“I know I damn sure wasn’t good at all,” James said.

Joel Embiid, Philadelphia’s other ex-MVP, fared no better. He missed all nine of his field-goal tries and scored six points, his second-worst shooting night behind an 0 of 11 outing versus Toronto seven years earlier.

CLEVELAND, OHIO - NOVEMBER 06: Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives to the basket against Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half at Rocket Arena on November 06, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

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Embiid and James are only the third pair of former MVPs in league history to both score fewer than 10 points while making 25% or less of their shots in one game.

VJ Edgecombe was a rare bright spot, needing just 13 shots for his 19 points.

Cleveland made a summer push for James before he picked the 76ers over the Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves.

Most of the crowd stood to applaud James, and he drew a bigger roar than any Cavaliers starter. He barely reacted, and Dec. 2, 2010, explains why.

Cleveland fans booed the 25-year-old without mercy that night, his first game back as a member of the Heat. He answered with 38 points in a 118-90 Miami rout.

“At the end of the day, nothing can get worse than Dec. 2, 2010, from a reception standpoint,” James said. “So I’ve seen the depths of hell when it comes to reception here, all the way to the heavens above. So anything in between is easy money.”

Philadelphia heads to Chicago next to face the Bulls.

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