The injury came with just over seven minutes left in the first quarter of Philadelphia’s preseason opener against the New York Knicks on Monday night. Hukporti stepped out to the three-point arc to guard Karl-Anthony Towns, planted on his right foot to contest a shot, and dropped without any contact.
Towns, his former Knicks teammate, checked on him on the floor and helped him off. The 76ers announced on Tuesday that Hukporti had ruptured his right Achilles tendon, would undergo surgery that same day, and would miss the entire 2026-27 season.
A non-contact Achilles tear is routinely a season-ender in basketball, and recovery can stretch close to a year.
LeBron laughing on the bench
The clip that drove the story came off the bench. James, who did not suit up, did not appear to notice Hukporti going down. The TV camera caught him mid-conversation with Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson, father of Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, and the two were laughing as Towns walked past them with Hukporti.
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The footage spread quickly on social media, and much of the reaction was blunt.
“Bron just laughing and doing nothing,” one widely shared post read.
“Meanwhile, his teammate LeBron is just laughing away while KAT carries him off,” another wrote.
Not every reply piled on. Several users pointed out that James was mid-conversation with Brunson and had no clear line of sight to the injury. One called the Towns-Hukporti embrace a case of “brotherhood trumps the fan rivalry”. James has not addressed the clip publicly.
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Hukporti’s path and Nurse’s response
Hukporti, a 24-year-old German center, signed a one-year deal with Philadelphia in free agency after two seasons with the Knicks. He had been expected to back up Joel Embiid in a thin frontcourt rotation.
James, meanwhile, arrived in Philadelphia after leaving the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency, joining Embiid in a reshaped 76ers core.
Head coach Nick Nurse struck a subdued note after the game.
“He’s been a joy to coach in the short time he’s been here. Really a good dude. We’ll just hope for the best,” Nurse said.
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