Lakers’ Bronny James makes G League debut; ‘excited’ to play

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Ever since Bronny James was chosen No. 55 by the Los Angeles Lakers again in June, the group deliberate for Saturday’s begin to the South Bay Lakers’ season.

Whereas South Bay’s 110-96 win over the Salt Lake Metropolis Stars on the franchise’s follow facility could not match the aura of NBA opening evening at Crypto.com Enviornment, the time the 20-year-old guard spends creating within the G League will arguably be extra essential to his growth.

It took James simply 43 seconds for him to attain his first G League bucket — canning a 17-foot jumper alongside the baseline.

“I used to be simply getting a bucket,” Bronny mentioned after the sport. “It obtained to me and I simply … yeah. I did not miss.”

He completed with 6 factors on 2-for-9 taking pictures (0-for-4 from 3), 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block and 5 turnovers in 31 minutes — loosely mirroring his manufacturing as a freshman at USC (4.8 factors, 2.8 rebounds and a pair of.1 assists) and through the Lakers’ preseason (4.2 factors, 1.5 rebounds and 0.3 assists).

Lakers two-way guard Quincy Olivari, who led South Bay with 28 factors and assisted on Bronny’s first basket, credited the rookie’s efficiency, regardless of the comparatively pedestrian statistical line.

“I used to be simply pleased to see him get on the market and present the world that he can play,” Olivari mentioned. “I believe I am a giant advocate on pushing that he is an excellent basketball participant, and that the criticism he will get is unfair.”

South Bay coach Zach Guthrie, employed within the offseason to interchange Dane Johnson, pointed to Bronny’s protection as a brilliant spot.

“I believe he did an excellent job dictating on the ball,” Guthrie mentioned. “He performed nice, he performed unselfishly, he performed throughout the circulate of the sport. And I assumed, like all our guards, we defended at a excessive stage. We talked about dictating. They weren’t comfy of their offense.”

The outsized consideration that being the son of LeBron James has generated for the rookie to date — “We would like Bronny!” chants are already a nightly prevalence throughout Lakers highway video games this season — adopted him to South Bay. His gold No. 9 Lakers uniform with “James Jr.” on the again was the one jersey on sale on the crew store. And when the South Bay starters had been launched by the general public deal with announcer, Bronny was saved for final — a distinction usually reserved for a crew’s star.

To not point out, Lakers coach JJ Redick, Lakers vice chairman of basketball operations and common supervisor Rob Pelinka and teammates Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell all displaying up in courtside seats, becoming a member of his mother and father – LeBron and Savannah – and his youthful sister, Zhuri.

“It is one of many nice tales in basketball,” Salt Lake coach Steve Wojciechowski mentioned. “Once you see him on the market, it is thrilling. It is thrilling for the G League and it brings eyeballs to our league. And now we have top-of-the-line leagues on this planet. Possibly the third finest league on this planet after the NBA and EuroLeague. And it is actually the long run stars of the sport. His story is bringing consideration not simply to South Bay, however the league typically and for the fellows who play within the league.”

South Bay bought out the sport — round 700 tickets — after simply 5 sellouts in 24 residence video games final season.

“I’ve seen all the excitement from me going to the G,” Bronny mentioned. “It is simply an incredible expertise for me to exit and play my sport and get some minutes beneath me. I am simply excited for it.”

Bronny will probably be with the Lakers on Sunday for his or her sport in opposition to the Toronto Raptors. South Bay’s subsequent sport is Friday on the highway in opposition to the Santa Cruz Warriors. They play once more in El Segundo subsequent Sunday in opposition to the Stockton Kings.

Joey Buss, South Bay’s president and CEO, mentioned Bronny’s schedule going ahead — shuffling between the Lakers and the G League — is just not set in stone.

“That is going to be fluid,” Buss advised ESPN. “We will do what’s finest for his growth. There’s going to be quite a lot of issues that we do for all of the task gamers and selections are made primarily based off the place they’re, primarily based off the harm standing, primarily based off what number of our bodies they want for follow. There’s quite a lot of variables. So, nothing distinctive for Bronny. He is simply sort of in that system.”