Philadelphia 76ers forward LeBron James played his first game in Philadelphia on December 22, 2002 — 24 years before signing with the team — as a 17-year-old representing St. Vincent-St. Mary High School of Akron, Ohio, at the University of Pennsylvania’s Palestra.
The matchup against Strawberry Mansion High School was organized by Jeremy Treatman, a former Philadelphia-area assistant coach. Treatman had seen James play in Delaware in December 2001 and pitched the event to St. Vincent-St. Mary coach Dru Joyce II. He booked the Palestra after contacting box office manager Peggy Kowalski — though he had not secured the venue when first proposing it to Joyce.
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Treatman selected Strawberry Mansion for its local prominence and star guard Maureece Rice, who entered the game needing 80 points to reach Wilt Chamberlain’s Philadelphia high school scoring record.
The Palestra — opened in 1926 — hosted its full capacity of 8,700 fans, with Treatman confirming he admitted at least 150 additional people. That set a new attendance record for the arena. Attendees included Sixers star Allen Iverson, then-New York Knicks executive Leon Rose, sports power broker William Wesley, Philadelphia radio personality Howard Eskin, and several Eagles players.
St. Vincent-St. Mary led 36–15 after the first half and 65–25 after three quarters. Rice scored zero points on 0-for-6 shooting before halftime. In the fourth quarter, Rice made his first basket — a 3-pointer — and James responded with one of his own. After Rice missed another 3, James called him over during live action, cleared the floor, and the two played four minutes of one-on-one basketball.
James finished with 26 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. Rice scored 13. St. Vincent-St. Mary won 85–47.
James recalled the game on his podcast "Mind the Game" with Steve Nash, naming Iverson’s presence and Rice’s name as standout memories. He described the Palestra as having “an aura” and called the experience “fun.”
James is in his 24th NBA season and plays for the Philadelphia 76ers. He was drafted first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003.
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