LeBron James finished his first public scrimmage as a Philadelphia 76er on Saturday, praised the progress of his new team and then headed for Manhattan by helicopter.
Photos obtained by The New York Post showed James arriving at the VIP Heliport on West 30th Street after leaving Philadelphia. TMZ put the flight at roughly 45 minutes.
It was the second highly visible helicopter trip of James’ first week of Sixers training camp. Reporters had already heard his aircraft departing the team’s Camden, New Jersey, facility after an earlier practice, while James has confirmed that he plans to maintain residences in both Philadelphia and New York.
That arrangement has also produced an eye-catching hypothetical price tag. PhillyVoice calculated that 67 round-trip helicopter commutes during a regular season could cost approximately $804,000 at quoted charter rates. The estimate assumes James flies for every Sixers home game and 26 home practices.
James Flew to Manhattan After His First Public Sixers Scrimmage
Bron buckets in South Philly 🪣 https://t.co/mXfuhqDgsA
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) October 3, 2026
James’ flight came after one of the first major public events of his Philadelphia tenure. Close to 10,000 people attended the Sixers’ annual Blue x White Scrimmage at Xfinity Mobile Arena, giving fans their first extended look at the franchise’s dramatically rebuilt lineup.
NBA.com, carrying an Associated Press report, said James played alongside Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid. Maxey connected with James for an alley-oop, James buried a deep 3-pointer and he also delivered a behind-the-back pass to Edgecombe during the exhibition.
“It was a great first step in a direction we’re trying to go,” James said afterward. He described Philadelphia’s first week as welcoming while acknowledging that he was still adjusting to the travel and time away from his family.
His next trip happened considerably faster than the drive between Philadelphia and Manhattan. The Post reported that his helicopter landed at the West 30th Street VIP Heliport after a flight of roughly 45 minutes, compared with a drive that can take around 90 minutes to two hours depending on traffic.
A Helicopter Had Already Carried Him Out of Sixers Practice
LeBron James left Sixers practice today in a helicopter 👀 https://t.co/fkS2HEfD4U
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) September 29, 2026
The Saturday trip followed a similar departure from the Sixers’ Camden training facility earlier in the week. PhillyVoice reported that journalists could hear a helicopter leaving the building as Anfernee Simons finished his media availability after the team’s first practice.
Tyrese Maxey had been waiting outside the facility for transportation of his own and compared his situation with that of his famous new teammate.“One of us left on a helicopter, the other one was sitting on the curb,” Maxey told reporters, according to PhillyVoice.
Two helicopter departures in the opening week still provide only a small sample of how James will travel across an entire NBA season. They do, however, show that the possibility discussed during the offseason has already become part of his real Philadelphia routine.
James Plans to Keep Homes in Both Philadelphia and New York
James has described his housing plan in straightforward terms. Asked where he intended to live during his first season with Philadelphia, he told ESPN he would have “multiple residences” and divide his time between New York and Philadelphia, according to CBS Sports.
James spent the previous eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers before signing a two-year, $8 million contract with Philadelphia in July. Reuters reported that the deal represents a dramatic reduction from the roughly $52 million he earned during his final season in Los Angeles.
James has framed the move around basketball, not the salary. His friendship with Maxey helped steer him toward Philadelphia, while his admiration for Embiid and the Sixers’ acquisition of Jaylen Brown strengthened his belief that the roster could contend for a championship.
After Saturday’s scrimmage, James said he was becoming more comfortable with his new surroundings while adapting to travel and time away from home. At Media Day, he made the stakes clear when he said, “I didn’t leave my family to lose in the second round.”
The $804,000 Figure Assumes 67 Round Trips in One Regular Season
The most striking estimate attached to James’ new commute came before training camp began. PhillyVoice contacted Wings Air Helicopters, a New York-based charter company, to ask what private helicopter travel between New York and Philadelphia typically costs.
General manager Anna Macsai told the outlet that a one-way private charter generally starts around $6,000 for as many as five or six passengers. A round trip would therefore run approximately $12,000 at that starting rate.
PhillyVoice then constructed a full-season scenario. Each NBA team plays 41 regular-season home games, and the Sixers held 26 home practices during the previous season. Flying round trip for all 67 dates at $12,000 each produces a total of $804,000.
Macsai estimated that a typical flight between the cities takes 40 to 50 minutes. She also noted that weather can disrupt helicopter travel when conditions fall below safe operating limits.
New York Was Nearly the Basketball Destination Too
James’ connection to New York goes beyond his living arrangements. Before the season, he revealed that he once pictured ending his career with the Knicks and playing his final seasons at Madison Square Garden.
“I had visions of playing in Madison Square Garden and finishing my career in the Garden,” James told ESPN, according to CBS Sports. He called the arena his favorite place to play but said the Knicks’ 2026 championship changed how he viewed joining them.
Instead, James chose the Sixers, creating a schedule that will keep bringing him back to New York anyway. The official NBA schedule has Philadelphia opening its preseason at home against the Knicks on October 5 before beginning the regular season at Madison Square Garden on October 20.