Bronny James scored four points in his first outing for the Los Angeles Lakers in NBA Summer League action against the Sacramento Kings , nearly matching the 4.8 he averaged in the NCAA.
Bronny was drafted by the Lakers with the No. 55 overall selection in the second round from USC where he spent one college basketball season. On Saturday, the 19-year-old suited up in purple-and-gold and wore a No. 9 jersey in the 108-94 defeat to the Kings.
After a couple of misses to open the game, Bronny finally scored his first points with a second-quarter layup that seemingly settled his nerves. He told reporters: “Moments like that can slow the game down for you especially because I wasn't as productive as I wanted to beforehand… I couldn't get the 3-ball to fall, but all the reps it's going to come more smooth.”
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He added: “Every first game that I step on the next level there's always some butterflies in my stomach, but as soon as the ball tips and we go a couple times down it all goes away and I'm just playing basketball. It’s always going to be there but get through it.”
Bronny’s basketball career was thrown into doubt ahead of his first college season when he suffered cardiac arrest at a team practice last July. However, he was cleared to return to the court and, after missing the first eight games, made 25 appearances for the Trojans, averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists.
On Saturday, Bronny scored four points on two-for-nine shooting, adding a pair of assists, two rebounds, and a steal in just over 21 minutes of action. He missed all three of his 3-point efforts.
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Bronny received a warm ovation when he returned to the court midway through the second quarter. He felt the love from the Bay Area crowd at Chase Center, the home of his father LeBron James ’ rival Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors . Bronny will get another chance to play Sunday when the Lakers face the Warriors.
James and Bronny could become the first father-son pair to play in the NBA at the same time, doing so while suiting up for the same team. The 39-year-old simply wants his son to continue to work hard and develop now he is signed to an NBA franchise, inking a four-year deal worth $7.9 million .
“What he does in the California Classic and Summer League, it doesn't matter if he plays well and it doesn't matter if he doesn't play well,” James said at USA Basketball's Olympics training camp in Las Vegas. “I just want him to continue to grow, practices, film sessions, his individual workouts. You can't take anything as far as stat-wise from the California Classic and Summer League and bring it once the season starts. The only thing that matters is him getting better and stacking days.”
Back in 2003, James’ Summer League debut for the Cleveland Cavaliers yielded 14 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Bronny has the potential to be a strong defensive player for his age, but question marks linger over his ability to effectively transition to the professional level. Concerns may remain after his showing on Saturday.
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