SAN FRANCISCO — The Los Angeles Lakers fell short to the Sacramento Kings in Bronny James’ NBA summer league debut Saturday, losing 108-94.
James, who received the loudest cheers of any player during starting lineup announcements, finished with four points, two assists, two rebounds and a steal on 2-of-9 shooting in 22 minutes of action. The rookie started alongside his draftmate and the No. 17 pick, Dalton Knecht.
“Yeah, of course. I mean, every first game that I step into the next level, it’s always some butterflies in my stomach,” James said when asked if he had any nerves or jitters. “But as soon as the ball tips and we go a couple of times down, it all goes away and I’m just playing basketball. So it’s always gonna be there, but I’ll get through it.”
Knecht was unable to find a rhythm himself, chipping in 12 points, four assists and two rebounds on 3-of-12 shooting. Blake Hinson led the Lakers with 17 points, three rebounds and two assists on 5-of-7 shooting from 3-point range.
“Maybe the atmosphere. It was more than I expected,” James said when discussing the biggest surprise for him Saturday. “I mean, it’s a big game for me, but I didn’t know if people from Golden State would come and rep for me. So that was pretty nice to see.”
Adonis Arms, the Texas Tech product, had a game-high 32 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, shooting an efficient 12 of 17 from the field. Antoine Davis chipped in 20 points on 6-of-9 shooting from 3 for the Kings.
The Lakers will take the floor at Chase Center again on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET against the Golden State Warriors. Sacramento will look to build on its success Sunday at 4:30 p.m. ET against the Miami Heat.
How James performed in the debut
James struggled to find an offensive rhythm in his summer league debut, making just two of nine shots, including missing all three of his 3-point attempts. His first basket came from a dribble hand-off from Colin Castleton, with James driving from the free-throw line for a scoop finish.
He drilled an off-the-dribble jumper, which happened to be his preferred look as a weak-side threat.
He had a steal and a couple of deflections, flashing his defensive instincts and energy in passing lanes. He also had a couple of welcome-to-NBA moments, getting knocked down on drives and off the dribble.
