Bronny James has 4 factors in summer season league debut for Lakers

SAN FRANCISCO — Bronny James made his NBA summer season league debut Saturday and was shocked by the nice and cozy reception he obtained within the metropolis the place his father performed a few of his fiercest NBA Finals battles.

“The environment,” Bronny stated when requested what shocked him probably the most after the Los Angeles Lakers’ 108-94 loss to the Sacramento Kings to open the California Traditional. “It was greater than I anticipated. I imply, it is a massive sport for me, however I did not know if folks from Golden State would come and rep for me. In order that was fairly good to see.”

James completed with 4 factors on 2-for-9 taking pictures, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal in 22 minutes.

Dane Johnson, the coach of L.A.’s G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, began Bronny, 19, together with Colin Castleton, 24, Sean East II, 24, Dalton Knecht, 23, and Maxwell Lewis, 21.

“He is simply received to continue to learn, hold getting reps and studying how a lot he is able to,” Johnson stated. “Like, his physique, he can get downhill if he makes use of his shoulder if he has a bit little bit of a bonus on any person. And simply constructing that confidence into him.”

It was a far cry from LeBron James’ summer season league debut in Orlando, Florida, in 2003, when LeBron put up 14 factors, 7 rebounds and 6 assists and followers hid underneath automobiles within the players-only car parking zone to attempt to get a glimpse of the prospect when he received off the workforce bus.

Then once more, LeBron was the No. 1 choose and Bronny was No. 55. Nonetheless, the extent of anticipation for Bronny’s debut was excessive, with a row of cameras lining the baseline an hour earlier than tipoff to seize the 6-2 guard’s pregame warmups.

Halfway by the second quarter, James confirmed a flash of the defensive promise the Lakers noticed when drafting him, stealing a go and igniting a quick break that ended with a Blake Hinson dish inside to Kyle Mangas for a bucket.

A few possessions later, James scored his first factors on a driving layup with 5:51 to go within the second, tying the rating at 31-31.

“Moments like that may gradual it down,” Bronny stated of the second-quarter sequence. “Gradual the sport down for you, particularly, as a result of I wasn’t as productive as I needed to [be] beforehand.”

He missed his first three photographs, made one, then missed 4 in a row earlier than his second subject purpose got here on a 19-foot bounce shot halfway by the third quarter.

James’ summer season league debut marked his first sport motion in almost 4 months, when his collegiate profession ended unceremoniously with USC dropping 70-49 to Arizona within the Pac-12 quarterfinals and James logging 3 factors on 1-for-5 taking pictures, 1 rebound and 1 steal.

There have been some indicators of rust Saturday, particularly when it got here to his shot.

“I used to be attempting to get downhill as a lot as I may to open up the 2-ball, and the midrange, and the 3-ball,” Bronny stated after going 0-for-3 from deep. “Could not get the 3-ball to fall, however with all of the reps, it should come extra clean.”

Talking to reporters following the primary day of USA Basketball’s coaching camp in Las Vegas, LeBron shrugged off any statistical struggles that Bronny would possibly face.

“What he does within the California Traditional and summer season league, it does not matter if he performs effectively and it does not matter if he does not play effectively,” LeBron stated. “I simply need him to proceed to develop [from] practices, movie periods, his particular person exercises. You possibly can’t take something stat-wise from the California Traditional and summer season league and produce it to as soon as the season begins. So, the one factor that issues is him getting higher and stacking days.”

Knecht, the Lakers’ No. 17 choose within the draft, scored 12 factors on 3-for-12 taking pictures. Blake Hinson, who signed with L.A. on a two-way contract out of the College of Pittsburgh, led the workforce with 17 factors, going 5-for-7 from 3. Guard Tommy Kuhse, who graduated from St. Mary’s in 2022 earlier than enjoying abroad, additionally stood out with 15 factors, 8 assists and a couple of steals off the bench.

The Lakers play two extra video games within the California Traditional — Sunday towards the Golden State Warriors and Wednesday towards the Miami Warmth — earlier than heading to Las Vegas, the place they will open up towards the Houston Rockets on Friday (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).

“He will play — granted, if he is wholesome — all through this complete factor,” Johnson stated of the plans for Bronny for the remainder of the Lakers’ summer season league slate. “We will attempt to combine him and attempt to get him as many reps as we are able to. As a result of he wants extra expertise enjoying. And particularly the NBA sport. It is a bit completely different than school, so getting reps within the NBA, in an NBA setting with good gamers will assist him in the long term.”

Saturday was only one a part of that course of for Bronny.

“Each first sport that I step into the subsequent degree, it is at all times some butterflies in my abdomen,” Bronny stated. “However as quickly because the ball ideas and we go a pair instances down, all of it goes away and I am simply enjoying basketball. So it is at all times going to be there, however I am going to get by it.”