Bronny James debuted with the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday in the California Classic, and the 55th pick received the stamp of approval from his father, LeBron James, after his first points.
James produced four points, two rebounds, two assists and one steal in a 108-94 loss to the Sacramento Kings at the Chase Center in San Francisco. He finished by shooting 2-of-9 from the field in 21 minutes, 43 seconds of action.
The 19-year-old played four different stints of about 4-5 minutes each quarter. He had his best run in the second quarter after picking off a pass that led to a fastbreak for the Lakers and finishing a driving right-handed layup on their next possession.
LeBron liked what he saw from Bronny.
"C'mon man that's tough"
LeBron watching Bronny's first points🙌 https://t.co/GZSVMh8sg6 pic.twitter.com/pQvRGD2nyo
— NBA (@NBA) July 6, 2024
Bronny, who signed a four-year, $7.9 million contract with the Lakers, started at point guard in the contest next to 17th pick Dalton Knecht, who finished with 12 points and four assists. Blake Hinson led the way with 17 points, while Maxwell Lewis had 14 points.
Overall, the former USC guard had a solid debut for the Lakers. He made some strong defensive plays against the opposition and will have the opportunity to get more reps on the court as the Lakers progress through their schedule.
The Lakers will return to action on Sunday against the Golden State Warriors (6:30 p.m. EDT, NBA TV). They will wrap up their stay in Sacramento on Wednesday against Miami before beginning a five-game stint in Las Vegas on Friday versus Houston.
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