LeBron suits up in new jersey at Philadelphia 76ers media debut

"You guys know who I am, right?"

The name is familiar but the 76ers red, white and ⁠blue jersey was new for LeBron James, who opened his introductory press conference on Monday with a quick quip amid the extraordinary buzz that surrounds his ‌arrival in Philadelphia.

Wearing the Sixers jersey in public for the first time, he quickly removed his ‌own name tag from the table as he met with an overflowing ‌crowd of reporters at the Sixers training complex, where his arrival has been regarded as ‌nothing short of a coronation.

"I'm super excited to get in front of ‌these fans, they know sports," said James, with a clean-shaven head to match his clean start with his fourth franchise, following a successful tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers.

"They know ball."

The ‌41-year-old four-times MVP took a historic pay cut - and left ⁠behind his own son-turned-teammate Bronny - to begin ‌his record-extending 24th season with a team he is convinced can lift the trophy.

Fans hope he is right, with the glory days of Julius "Dr. J" Erving, who brought home their last title in 1983, an ever-distant memory.

"If we want to accomplish something that's really, really important, like if we say that we want to do something special will be a collective sacrifice," said James, whose reported $8 ⁠million two-year contract in Philadelphia pales in comparison to the roughly $52 million he made in his final season in Los Angeles.

He told reporters he had a list of five teams that he was considering before landing on Philadelphia, insisting he had not decided whether his contract with the ‌Sixers would be the last 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 said.

'I can do everything'

James is ready for a variety of rules in helping the team adapt.

"Whatever the team needs for me to do," he said. "The luxury of my game is that I can do everything. Literally, I can do everything.

"I have a lot of experience in this game. I hope I can bring that experience, bring that knowledge, bring that blueprint to guys trying to accomplish some things they haven't done in their career.

"I hope every single day with my approach to the game, to the work, can translate to every single guy. Looking forward to that challenge."

He advised teammates to keep an emotional balance to outside critics.

"The work we put in will take care of itself," he said. "Everything going on out there does not matter at all. It's about the results and things that happen in this building.

"If you have this championship approach every day, it will definitely work in our favour."

James, who said his "great" relationship with Tyrese Maxey was "one of the main deciding factors" in picking the Sixers over four other possible clubs, hopes to help 2024 US Olympic gold medal teammate Joel Embiid win his first NBA crown.

"Hopefully I can give him resources and whatever he needs on a day-to-day basis to make him feel even more comfortable about where he is, about where we are as a team," James said.