‘Might be better than Kobe’: Inside LeBron’s first game in Philly — more than two decades ago

Following LeBron James' recent move to the Philadelphia 76ers in his 24th NBA season, attendees and organizers reflected on his iconic high school game at the Palestra in 2002. Event organizer Jeremy Treatman arranged the landmark December 2002 showdown between James' St. Vincent-St. Mary squad and Philadelphia's Strawberry Mansion, led by local star Maureece Rice. The sold-out contest drew notable sports figures, including Allen Iverson and Leon Rose.

St. Vincent-St. Mary dominated the matchup to secure an 85-47 victory. With the score lopsided in the fourth quarter, James and Rice thrilled the 8,700-plus crowd by playing four minutes of uninterrupted one-on-one basketball. Now playing for the 76ers at age 41, James has guided Philadelphia to an 8-1 start to begin the season.