Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James played his first game in the G League on Saturday night, helping the South Bay Lakers win against the Salt Lake City Stars in their season opener.
Although James’ stats weren’t impressive, as he scored six points on 2-for-9 shooting and 0-for-4 from three, along with four assists, three rebounds, two steals, one block, and five turnovers in 31 minutes, his presence was still felt. The game at the UCLA Health Training Center was sold out, with many kids chanting Bronny’s name and wearing his jersey.
Salt Lake head coach Steve Wojciechowski praised Bronny, saying, “I mean, this doesn’t normally happen after a G League game. Obviously, with Bronny there’s a boatload of excitement and there should be. It’s one of the great stories in basketball.
When you see him out there, it’s exciting. It’s exciting for the G League, and it brings eyeballs to our league. And we have one of the best leagues in the world. Maybe the third-best league in the world, after the NBA and EuroLeague.
And it’s really the future stars of the game. His story is bringing attention not just to South Bay but the league in general and for the guys who play in the league.”
As a second-round rookie, Bronny expects to split time between the G League and NBA this season. He’s ready for the excitement that comes with playing in the G League and is embracing the attention.
“I’ve seen all the buzz from me going to the G,” James said. “It’s just an amazing experience for me to go out and play my game and get some minutes under me. I’m just excited for it.”
Regarding his performance in his first game, Bronny said he felt good, despite not putting up big numbers.
“It felt pretty good to go out there and just play my game,” James added. “Not much difference. I was just playing basketball. It felt good.”
While many came to watch Bronny, including LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and D’Angelo Russell, they also got to see other South Bay Lakers players, like Quincy Olivari and Maxwell Lewis, play well. As Wojciechowski pointed out, Bronny’s presence brings attention to the G League, and other players will benefit from the added exposure.
