Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James Jr. (9) drives the ball against the Houston Rockets during the first half of an NBA Summer League basketball game, Friday, July 12, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
LAS VEGAS — Bronny James has gotten the message from his father and his coach: His transition to the Los Angeles Lakers will take time and a lot of work.
And Friday only further proved what they were saying.
James, the 55th overall pick in last month’s draft, struggled from the court and scored eight points as the Lakers lost to the Houston Rockets 99-80 on the opening day of NBA Summer League.
Bronny’s father, LeBron James, wasn’t there — he was with the U.S. Olympic team in Abu Dhabi, arriving there earlier Friday to prepare for a pair of exhibitions next week as the Americans continue to prepare for the Paris Games.
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But Bronny’s mother, Savannah, was in the sold-out crowd, which was mostly made up of purple-and-gold Lakers fans. They roared when Bronny James was introduced, as expected.
“The atmosphere, they came to support,” James said.
James’ final stats: 3-of-14 shooting, 0-of-8 from 3-point range, five rebounds, two steals and three turnovers in 27 minutes. In three games this summer, the first two coming at the California Classic (a smaller summer league in San Francisco), he shot 23 percent and missed all 12 of his 3-point attempts.
“The shot didn’t go in,” James said.
Lakers coach JJ Redick spoke to ESPN during the second quarter Friday and said in the on-air interview that he told Bronny James to focus on defense and what will be an intense player development program the team will create for him.
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“He had heart surgery last year, he had his ups and downs as a freshman, he obviously went through the pre-draft process, so there’s a conditioning element to being able to play that way defensively,” Redick said. “But overall, we like what we’ve seen in practice. We like what we’ve seen in Summer League.”
LeBron James, who played in the Orlando and Boston summer leagues as a rookie, has said in the past that he wants his son to remember that stats, good, bad or otherwise, don’t matter this summer. He just wants to see his son grow and learn.
“The only thing that matters is that he gets better and keeps getting better,” he said.
Bronny James scored six of the Lakers’ first 13 points Friday — a layup, two free throws and then a dunk where the guard, who is perhaps a bit generously listed at 6-foot-2, showed off his athleticism by rising from under the basket for a jam.
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He didn’t score again until midway through the fourth quarter, getting a basket on a nifty move — starting with a left-handed dribble into the lane, then extending and knocking down a floater with his right hand.
James’ first two games at the California Classic weren’t great statistically. He shot 3-of-12 from the field, 1-of-4 from the free throw line, and was 0-of-4 from 3-point range. He averaged 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks in 25 minutes per game in those two games.
“I’m really excited about Bronny,” Lakers forward Anthony Davis said earlier in the week. “It’s a cool experience. It’s never been done before, it’s never happened in basketball, so it’s a cool experience to have him on our team and watch him grow.”
