Dave Portnoy claims NBA superstar LeBron James already ‘hates’ Philadelphia

Dave Portnoy believes LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers’ honeymoon period is already over, and reality is starting to set in.

James signed a two-year, $8 million veteran minimum contract with the 76ers this offseason, joining forces with Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe to form the most powerful starting lineup in the NBA.

However, despite signing with the team, James has made the decision not to live in Philadelphia, opting to make the commute from New York City via helicopter instead.

Reacting to a news story about LeBron James getting out of a private helicopter in New York City after completing his scrimmage with the Philadelphia 76ers, Dave Portnoy took a dig at the City of Brotherly Love on X.

He joked that LeBron James hates Philadelphia to such an extent that he refuses to spend any more time than needed in the city.

“This man hates Philly so much he can’t spend more than 30 seconds in the city.”

There is no word on why LeBron James has chosen to live in New York City over Philadelphia, outside of speculation over cosmetic and lifestyle benefits that the Big Apple has to offer.

James has owned a penthouse in New York City for years now, and is residing there for the foreseeable future while playing for the 76ers.

However, this is by no means a tacit admission that he dislikes Philadelphia. And Portnoy making this assertion has far more to do with his rabid Boston Celtics fandom.

Portnoy is from Boston and is a proud Celtics fan. The Celtics, as many know, share a long-standing, Atlantic Conference-bound rivalry with the 76ers.

Most recently, the 76ers upset the Celtics in the first round, completing a comeback after going down 3-1 to eliminate the second seed in the East last season.

To make matters worse, the 76ers then landed Jaylen Brown in a trade which many fans agree they gave up very little for.

Comments like this one only add to the rivalry between the two sides. But Portnoy had to do very little to heat up what many expect to be one of the fiercest rivalries in the NBA this season.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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