MORE TO COME
Bronny James ‘has to keep learning’ admits Lakers coach after LeBron’s son endures tough debut in NBA summer league
The 19-year-old has penned a bumper four-deal rookie contract in LA
LOS Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James has struggled during his eagerly-awaited debut.
The 19-year-old guard suited up in the Purple & Gold for the first time on Saturday night against the Sacramento Kings.
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Bronny, the son of NBA icon LeBron James, was selected as the No. 55 pick in last month's Draft.
He has penned a four-year deal with the Lakers reportedly worth $7.6 million.
James was named as a starter as the Lakers took on the Kings in the NBA's Summer League.
Wearing the No. 9 jersey, Bronny scored his first points as a Laker with a drive into the paint and an easy layup late in the first half.
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But he went cold from the field for the remainder of the game, finishing with just 4 points from his 22 minutes on the court.
James shot 2-of-9 from the field, missing all three of his 3-point attempts in the 108-94 loss.
Bronny added two rebounds and two assists, along with a steal.
"The atmosphere was more than I expected," James said following the game.
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"It’s a big game for me, but I didn’t know the people of Golden State would come and rep for me, so that was pretty nice to see."
"Moments like that can slow the game down for you especially because I wasn’t as productive as I wanted to beforehand," he added, referencing his first bucket.
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"I couldn’t get the 3-ball to fall, but all the reps it’s going to come more smooth."
James only played 25 games in college for the University of Southern California.
The teenager made a stunning return to the court last fall after suffering a cardiac arrest at summer training camp.
“Hopefully he’ll play all the games, we’ll see how it goes," South Bay Lakers coach Dane Johnson said.
"We’re going to try to integrate him and get him as many reps as we can.
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"At the end of the day, I hate to say it, but I believe this in my soul right now - I wish LeBron James would retire.
"Not because I don't want to see more of LeBron James, not because I don't appreciate LeBron James.
"But I honestly believe deep down inside, the more LeBron James continues to play the game of basketball, the more it's going to hurt his legacy and the more it's going to continue to hurt his GOAT argument.
"As long as he steps foot on that floor, every single season, there's gonna expectations of him winning a championship.
"And when he don't do that, we're gonna be looking at him saying: 'Well what happened now?'"
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"He needs more experience playing.
"He's just got to keep learning, keep getting reps, and learning how much he's capable of.
"Like, his body, he can get downhill if he uses his shoulder if he has a little bit of an advantage on somebody. It's about just building that confidence into him."
The Lakers will face the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on Sunday night, with James set to feature again.
Bronny will have to wait to make his full debut alongside dad LeBron.
The four-time NBA champion is currently in Las Vegas with Team USA basketball.
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LeBron linked up with his teammates on Friday ahead of the Paris Olympics later this month.
It's the first time the 20-time All-Star has been to the Olympic Games since winning gold at London 2012.
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