A toast to a win? LeBron James takes a sip of wine after crashing into 76ers fan

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — At 41 years old and still playing at an elite level, some might say LeBron James is aging like a fine wine.

Well, maybe having some wine during Monday’s contest helped his game, too.

After coming up empty on a fastbreak, James crashed into a Philadelphia 76ers fan behind the basket and took a a sip of the fan’s wine during Philadelphia’s 126-107 win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.

“I crashed into him, spilled some of his wine,” James said after posting 15 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds. “So I wanted to see if it was worth it on my arm and how good it was. It was alright.”

There were laughs all around at the end of the answer, a sign of how things have been going for James since he decided to join the 76ers in July. He and the 76ers are having a lot of fun right now. And why not? They won their fourth straight game on Monday to improve their Eastern Conference-leading record to 7-1.

James started alongside the star-studded 76ers lineup with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Jaylen Brown. All scored in double-figurers on Monday night, with Maxey leading the way with 26 points.

It seemed like some, um, celebrating was in order — even if in-game. A toast to a good decision? To another win? To having fun? Maybe to all of it?

“It’s a long marathon, and if you don’t find ways to have fun throughout — even though you’re working, even though you’re locked in — it can wear on you,” James said.

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