Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Lebron James' has been traveling by helicopter to 76ers practice
LeBron James signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in the offseason, meaning he’ll spend the final seasons of his career in the City of Brotherly Love. At least part-time, that is.
According to the NBA legend, he’ll be living in both New York City and Philadelphia during his time with the 76ers. LeBron James has certainly made good on that assertion in the early days of his Sixers career, as he’s been seen chopping out of Philadelphia practice, likely en route back to New York City. A drive from New York City to Philly takes about 1:45 to 2 hours.
Leaving Sixers practice today. As LeBron walked outside toward the building. Two plus two? pic.twitter.com/YRRYZRVG1X
— Dana O'Neil (@DanaONeilWriter) September 29, 2026
The Athletic published a piece verbalizing what many NBA fans have likely been thinking: LeBron commuting by helicopter is giving off bad Kobe vibes
Given the mode of transportation and the NBA superstar passenger inside of it, LeBron’s helicopter commute has sparked an unspoken discomfort among NBA fans: it reminds them of how Kobe Bryant was killed.
A columnist for The Athletic voiced that unease, asking why LeBron is risking his life with frequent helicopter rides.
“He doesn’t owe anyone a car ride on the New Jersey Turnpike. LeBron is a grown man, a husband and a father, making a reasonable choice about how to spend the one thing even he can’t buy more of. His body has been treated like public property since he was a teenager. It was always his,” Jason Lloyd wrote.
“But I understand the people who held their breath, and what they were really asking. Not that he drive, or be driven. That he stay. That the clock stop, just this once, for the one man we all agreed to watch it on. It won’t. It never does. Somewhere over the Turnpike, the helicopter keeps whirring north. LeBron James is 41. So was Kobe.”
Data shows that helicopters are riskier than cars by any common measure. The FAA put the 2024 U.S. helicopter fatal accident rate at 0.44 per 100,000 flight hours, a record low, while NHTSA estimates 2025 traffic deaths at 1.10 per 100 million vehicle miles. Put on the same scale, that works out to roughly eight to 13 times deadlier per hour and about three to four times deadlier per mile. Cars still kill far more people overall, however, with about 36,640 fatalities last year compared to 30 helicopter deaths in 2024.