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By Matthew Couden
Contributing Writer
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The NBA announced a Thanksgiving Eve triple-header for the upcoming regular season, with LeBron James and his new team, the Philadelphia 76ers, among the headlining acts.
On Wednesday, the league shared that the 76ers will face Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Miami Heat on Wednesday, Nov. 25, at 5 p.m. ET as part of the annual Emirates NBA Cup.
The ESPN triple-header will also include Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves facing reigning two-time NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder at 7:30 p.m. ET. Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs will finish up that ESPN trio of games at 10 p.m. ET when they take on Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers.
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James was previously a member of the Miami Heat, a team with which he won two championships during his career. They were also among the teams vying for him to sign with their roster in the offseason, but James spurned them for a chance to chase a title in Philadelphia.
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James joined a star-studded 76ers team that had acquired Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics in a trade just ahead of James' announcement. Before getting either of those players, they already had a trio of stars in former NBA MVP Joel Embiid, two-time All-Star Tyrese Maxey, and rising young star VJ Edgecombe.
However, the Heat also added a former champion and NBA MVP in Antetokounmpo. The Greek Freak is now paired with Bam Adebayo, who went off on a major scoring performance last season to record 83 points, the second-most for an NBA player behind Wilt Chamberlain.
The game on Thanksgiving Eve is also part of the annual NBA Cup, which crowns a champion earlier in the season through a tournament. NBA unveiled a complete schedule for the event, with group play games beginning Oct. 30, followed by the knockout rounds in November. The NBA Cup championship will be determined on Dec. 11 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Both the Heat and 76ers will be considered ones to watch in the Eastern Conference, due to how they've improved. As of this writing, the 76ers are tied with the New York Knicks as the third-best odds to win the NBA championship, trailing the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder.
With the game in Miami, James will potentially be on the hardwood against his former team, and one he turned down among suitors during his free agency. Whether he, Giannis, or someone else puts on an epic performance remains to be seen, but many fans will be watching to see what unfolds.
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