LeBron James has heated exchange with Knicks fan as MSG crowd reminds him: ‘We don’t want you!’

The Philadelphia 76ers spoiled the New York Knicks’ NBA title banner-raising party Tuesday night, but the fans inside Madison Square Garden made sure to give one of the city’s newest residents a rude reception.

LeBron James was not given a warm greeting by the New Yorkers in attendance with the crowd at one point chanting, “We don’t want you!” as he was at the free-throw line early in the game.

Near the end of the first half, James had a back-and-forth with fans sitting courtside while the Knicks were at the foul line. The conversation, as relayed by NBC’s Mike Tirico, was about James and his use of a helicopter to travel between Philadelphia and New York City, where he now resides.

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At one point during the interactions, Spike Lee, dressed in his best Knicks suit for the occasion, attempted to play peacemaker.

“Hey, LeBron, just because you have a helicopter and you live in New York doesn’t mean we’re gonna cheer for you,” the fan said, according to Tirico.

James would continue his back-and-forth with the fans saying, “I’m not from the West Coast. I’m Ohio, baby. […] F*ck you talking about?”

The 41-year-old James would finish with 14 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists during the Sixers’ 106-100 win.

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It was well-documented after he signed with the Sixers that James had thoughts about coming to the Knicks during free agency. He told reporters during training camp that he had “visions of playing in [Madison Square] Garden” and ending his career with the franchise to help them win an NBA title. But after they defeated the Spurs in June’s NBA Finals, James decided against pursuing the move.

After the game, when asked about the Sixers ruining the big night for the Knicks and their fans, James disagreed with the sentiment.

“I wouldn’t say that,” James said. “It was a great night for New York fans. Fifty-plus 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.”

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/lebron-james-has-heated-exchange-with-knicks-fan-as-msg-crowd-reminds-him-we-dont-want-you-123116826.html

Author : Sean Leahy

Publish date : 2026-10-21 12:31:00

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