No LeBron, no problem at Acrisure Arena as fans still have a blast at NBA game

Acrisure Arena was the site as the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves faced off in a preseason game Friday night, and just before tipoff, high-wattage NBA stars and Olympic teammates LeBron James and Anthony Davis of the Lakers and Anthony Edwards of the Timberwolves met up to shake hands at halfcourt.

Three of the game's brightest stars shared the court together for a brief moment, but there was one major problem: They were all wearing street clothes, and in Edwards' case sunglasses for some reason.

Yes, LeBron, A.D. and Ant did not play in the game, resting after a busy summer that included the Olympic trip to Paris.

Understandably, that was a bummer for the Friday night crowd, and some may have even lamented shelling out money for a LeBron-less game. I was worried that the stars' absence would take the air out of the building, but then the game started, and those fears were immediately put to rest.

The crowd of 9,235 was energetic, they were into the game, and they had fun. The crowd's attitude was like "So what if it's Max Christie and Jaxson Hayes starting the game instead of LeBron and A.D. They're still Lakers. We're still watching an NBA game at an intimate arena in Palm Desert. This is cool."

Bronny James plays first NBA minutes in Lakers' preseason loss to Timberwolves

And the game wasn't without some history. LeBron James' son, Bronny James, played in his first-ever NBA game, and that was not lost on the crowd. When Bronny came in to start the second quarter, the crowd roared. With every Bronny shot attempt, the fans oohed as the shot went up and groaned as it didn't go in. In the final minute of the game, after missing his first five shots, Bronny scored his first NBA bucket on a hard drive to the basket, and that elicited the biggest roar of the night.

I would wager confidently that it was the loudest cheer ever for a basket in a preseason game that made the score 122-104 in the final minute of a 124-107 Lakers loss.

I talked to a family of three after the third quarter and asked them if they were still having fun even without LeBron and the other big names. The 8-year-old son wearing a Lakers jersey said exuberantly, "Yes! My favorite part was when they made a 3-pointer and everybody was happy." He was talking about a basket by the Lakers' Austin Reaves.

The family was local and the father shared a sentiment that permeated throughout Acrisure. "It's just so cool to be able to see an NBA game without having to leave the desert. We're having fun no matter who's out on the court."

And that's why this preseason marriage between the Lakers and the desert is working so well. The Lakers are a brand that always sells and communities starved for NBA games aren't too picky about which ones they get and who's playing in them. The fans just want to be entertained by some of the world's best athletes.

Then you throw in the Laker Girls cheerleaders and the amazing Christian and Scooby (a man and a chihuahua who delighted the crowd, and me, when Scooby, walking on its hind legs and wearing a little Lakers jersey, did a two-handed dunk into a small basket and then followed it up with the world's cutest 360 slam), and you're getting your money's worth, even if the only LeBron you see is him sitting at the end of the bench, laughing and goofing around with A.D.

JJ Redick, the new Lakers coach, who made his debut in Friday's game, had a thoughtful take on why games like this outside of Los Angeles are important.

"The beautiful thing about our sport is that it's a global sport and the beautiful thing about the Lakers is that we have fans all over the world," Redick said before Friday's game. "I feel like the desert is an extension of our fanbase in L.A. As a player, I got a chance to play in a lot of exhibition games, and some global games in places like China and Mexico City, played a regular-season game in London. I always relish those opportunities to get to play in front of people who might otherwise not get to see us play so it's a great opportunity for our group to play in front of these fans tonight."

Redick and the Lakers will play in front of Acrisure Arena fans again on Sunday, when they meet the Phoenix Suns at 6:30 p.m. Friday's attendance was shy of a sellout, but Sunday's is trending toward selling out, especially with the belief that LeBron and Davis will play after resting Friday.

That's three consecutive big box offices for this Lakers-Acrisure partnership: Last year's sellout and two games this year that will average around 10,000. While there's nothing etched in stone regarding whether or not the Lakers will return again in 2025, this relationship seems to be mutually beneficial, so why not?

"We're so fortunate to have a team like the Lakers want to be here, and there's a commitment from Jeanie Buss and her organization and we couldn't ask for a better partner to bring basketball to the Coachella Valley," said John Page, the senior vice president of Oak View Group which owns Acrisure Arena. "They had a great experience last year and achieved all the results they were looking for. With that success, we said 'Let's try two,' this year."

Heck, let's make it three games in 2025. OK, that's probably pushing it, but it was made clear at Friday's game that this desert loves the Lakers, loves these games and loves the entertainment value the NBA brings.

And truth be told, it doesn't really matter who's wearing the purple and gold jersey. It could be LeBron, the GOAT, or Scooby, the dog. Either way everyone is going home happy.

Shad Powers is a columnist for The Desert Sun. Reach him at shad.powers@desertsun.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: No LeBron, no problem at Acrisure Arena as fans still have a blast at NBA game