LeBron James Sips a Fan's Wine Mid-Game and the Clip Goes Viral

LeBron James took a sip of a fan's wine in the middle of a game on Monday night, and the short clip has been watched and shared across social media since. The moment came in the third quarter of the Philadelphia 76ers home game against the Chicago Bulls on Monday, November 2, 2026, which Philadelphia won 126 to 107.

James was chasing a hit-ahead pass from Tyrese Maxey that sailed out of bounds. He stumbled into the crowd and bumped into a fan who was holding a cup of wine. Before heading back to play defence, cameras caught James taking the cup from the fan and raising it to his lips for a quick sip. The video of the moment went viral on social media.

The fan's side of the story

ESPN reporter Kris Rhim caught up with the fan, Troy Clemons, during the game and confirmed in his reporting that the drink was wine. Rhim also interviewed James after the game.

Clemons told Rhim he was walking to his seat when James crashed into him. "LeBron crashed into me, he grabbed me and he said 'My bad.' My drink spilled everywhere. He took my drink from me and he basically just took a sip of it, gave it back and ran back on the court," Clemons said.

He did not keep the cup as a souvenir. Clemons threw it in the trash and got a fresh drink, and said he was not worried about the wine on him and was there to have a good time. "At the end of the day he's another man like me. I mean he's LeBron, but at the end of the day, I threw that cup in the trash. And it's nothing up with him, I just got a fresh drink though," he said.

What James said after the game

James explained the sip plainly. "I spilled some of his wine. I crashed into him, spilled some of his wine. So I wanted to see if it was worth it on my arm and how good it was. It was alright," he said.

He tied the moment to enjoying a long season. "It's a long marathon. And if you don't find ways to have fun throughout it, even though you're working and even though you're locked in, then it could wear on you," James said. Head coach Nick Nurse said James had stated publicly in the summer that he wanted to go somewhere and have fun playing.

James is 41 and in his 24th NBA season, his first with the 76ers. He finished the game with 15 points, seven rebounds and nine assists on 6-for-13 shooting. Philadelphia improved to 7-1 and lead the Eastern Conference after four straight wins.

Will the league act

Players are not supposed to drink from fans' cups, but it is rare for the NBA to fine someone for a spontaneous interaction like this. In 2019 Mike Scott tumbled into courtside seats at Milwaukee, jokingly took a sip of a fan beverage, and the NBA opted not to fine him.

Reaction was mixed online, with Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy among those criticising the moment while many fans were amused, according to Pro Football Network's roundup, reported by the New York Post on November 3, 2026.

The 76ers next play on Wednesday at the Detroit Pistons, the only team they have lost to this season, to start a three-game road trip.