“I threw the cup in the trash”: Philadelphia 76ers fan reveals why he threw away wine cup LeBron James took a sip from

LeBron James chased a Tyrese Maxey pass into the stands in the third quarter on Monday, ran into a fan and drank some of his wine. The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Chicago Bulls 126-107 at Xfinity Mobile Arena to move to 7-1, but the clip of James sipping a stranger’s drink became the night’s biggest talking point.The fan, Troy Clemons, has since said what happened to the cup. He told ESPN’s Kris Rhim he did not keep it. James had his own explanation after the game, and it came with a point about the length of the season.Why did a 76ers fan throw away the cup LeBron James drank from?The video spread fast on social media, and ESPN tracked down Clemons after the game. Clemons said the 41-year-old grabbed him after the collision and apologized. James took the cup, sipped from it, handed it back and ran onto the court. The spill did not bother Clemons. He said he was glad James is in Philadelphia and was just there to enjoy the game.“LeBron crashed into me; he grabbed me. He said, ‘My bad.’ My drink spilled everywhere,” Clemons said.The fan continued, He took my drink from me, and he basically just took a sip of it, gave it back, and ran back on the field. I’m just glad for him to be here. I’m not worried about the wine getting on me. But I appreciate everything the Sixers is doing, and I’m here to have a good time, man. I appreciate it.”He said James is a man like anyone else, and a cup someone else drank from was not worth keeping. “I threw the cup in the trash,” he told Rhim. He then got himself another drink.Plenty of fans would have kept the cup as a souvenir. Clemons treated it like any other used cup.What did James say about the sip and the win over the Bulls?James said he had spilled some of the wine, so he wanted to know if it was worth it. His review was lukewarm. He also used the moment to talk about the grind of an 82-game season. It is a “long marathon,” he said, and players who never find ways to have fun will wear down. In year 24, he said, he enjoys the small moments and the fans who support the team.He once told former NBA coach Doc Rivers that wine is the only bad thing he puts in his body.The fun cost Philadelphia nothing on the floor. The 22-time All-Star finished with 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting, seven rebounds, nine assists and one steal. Most of his impact came as a passer. Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid and Dean Wade all had success. James credited the defense. The Sixers held Chicago to few second-chance points, he said, which let them run.At 7-1, the 76ers are tied for the best record in the NBA. They open a three-game road trip Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.