LeBron James soaked in the excitement surrounding his arrival in Philadelphia on Monday as he made his first media appearance in a 76ers jersey.

Wearing the Sixers’ red, white and blue jersey in public for the first time, James faced an overflowing crowd of reporters at the team’s training complex.

“You guys know who I am, right?”

The 41-year-old four-time NBA MVP then removed his name tag from the table before speaking about his move to Philadelphia.

“I’m super excited to get in front of these fans; they know sports,” said James.

“They know ball.”

James backs Sixers’ title hopes.

James is joining his fourth NBA franchise after a successful spell with the Los Angeles Lakers.

He agreed to a reported $8 million, two-year contract with the Sixers. The deal is a major cut from the roughly $52 million he earned in his final season with the Lakers.

James also left behind his son and former Lakers teammate, Bronny James.

The veteran forward said he believes Philadelphia has enough talent to challenge for the NBA title.

The Sixers acquired 2024 Finals MVP Jaylen Brown before James announced his decision. Brown joins an impressive core that includes All-Star Tyrese Maxey and star centre Joel Embiid.

James said he had narrowed his options to five teams before choosing Philadelphia. He also credited his friendship with Maxey for influencing his decision.

“I kind of picked his brain a lot on not only where his career is going, you know, how he sees the franchise here, how much he believes in the franchise, and if I was to come here, how does he see me fitting in,” said James.

‘Best version of myself’

James also spoke about the attention that comes with his arrival in Philadelphia.

“I understand my personality and what comes with me; sometimes it could be a negative. You know, I understand some people maybe can’t handle what I may bring to the table, and I was just giving, asking all the questions that I could ask him, and it wasn’t just one conversation.”

Philadelphia fans have already embraced the arrival of the four-time champion. Murals of James appeared around the city ahead of his move.

James said he has not decided whether his Sixers contract will be the final deal of his career.

“I’m just looking at it every single day on how I can be the best version of myself for this franchise while I’m here,” he added.

James and Philadelphia will open their season on October 20 against the reigning NBA champions, the New York Knicks.

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