Bronny James has officially played his first game in the NBA’s Summer League. During this time, he got his first NBA bucket, which prompted his father, LeBron James, to announce his pride and joy in his son.
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Bronny’s first bucket was a rather simple one. The 19-year-old drove hard to the rim, before laying it up with his right hand off the glass. But to LeBron it wasn’t the ease with which Bronny scored that mattered, but the fact that he did. A proud dad, the King commented on his son’s first professional basket, saying,
“Come on man! That’s tough! That’s tough! Get loose!”
LeBron reacts to Bronny’s bucket 😮💨😮💨 pic.twitter.com/2b6CLTWJ7P
— Sole Retriever (@SoleRetriever) July 6, 2024
It’s a bit hard to blame LeBron James for being a bit overexcited about his son. After all, given the doting father he has shown himself to be, this was always slated to happen. The Lakers superstar is likely just excited to play with his son once the next season begins.
That said, it’s not all flowers and sunshine. Unfortunately, James’s debut wasn’t all too great as he only recorded 4 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal, while going 2 for 9 from the field in 21 minutes of action.
That said, even some of the greatest in NBA history have had terrible debuts in the Summer League, with Victor Wembanyama’s debut against the Charlotte Hornets the most recent one. But Bronny’s debut would have done well to calm his nerves a bit, which could make way for a much better showing next time around.
This paired with the fact that James did show just how good he could be on both ends, albeit in flashes, and the Lakers will be very happy with who they drafted.
Bronny James is not the only Lakers’ rookie to have had his debut
The Lakers’ first-round pick, Dalton Knecht also saw his Summer League debut come against the Sacramento Kings tonight. In the 26 minutes he did play, he recorded 12 points, four assists, 2 rebounds, and 1 steal, while shooting 3 of 12 from the field.
It appears that, much like Bronny, Knecht didn’t have all too great of a debut. However, the belief in him will not waver one bit, as even LeBron James recently came out to praise him. Per Ben Golliver, he said,
“Dalton, besides Bronny, was my favorite player in college basketball. … I did not think he would fall to 17 at all. … I’m glad he did.”
At the very least, the Laker Nation has two rookies to be incredibly excited about. With James and Knecht both showing their potential in flashes already, could the two be just the shot in the arm the Lakers need this season?
