{
  "id": 11974401,
  "title": "76ers' LeBron James shows ultimate sign of respect to Julius Erving with subtle gesture",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/76ers-lebron-james-shows-ultimate-sign-of-respect-to-julius-erving",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-04T17:44:49.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/76ers-lebron-james-shows-ultimate-174449544.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a small yet significant gesture, LeBron James showed his respect to Julius Erving, a former Philadelphia 76ers legend, during the team's initial scrimmage for fans. Typically wearing the number six on his practice jersey, James decided to wear nine during the scrimmage, honoring Erving's retired number with the 76ers. This subtle gesture, while unnoticed by many, will undoubtedly be appreciated by fans and highlight James' continued efforts to show respect to his colleagues in the league.",
  "summary": "LeBron James is already starting to become of fan favorite in Philadelphia. The four time NBA champion is already showing respect to the greats of Philadelphia.",
  "key_points": [
    "LeBron James honors Julius Erving's retired number nine during scrimmage",
    "James wore nine instead of his usual number six jersey",
    "Gesture appreciated by fans and highlights James' respect for colleagues"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}