2024-11-01 03:15:02
David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images
Los Angeles Lakers rookie guard Bronny James commented Wednesday after scoring the first points of his NBA career.
With the Lakers trailing big in the closing minutes of what was ultimately a 134-110 road loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Bronny entered the game and knocked down a jumper:
Per Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor, Bronny reflected on what it was like to see the ball go through the hoop in an official, regular-season NBA game, saying: “It was just a dream come true for me. I was still in game mode when I hit the shot, so I didn’t really acknowledge it while I was playing. But yeah, it felt good after.”
Fittingly, Bronny’s first basket came against the team his legendary father, LeBron James, spent 11 seasons playing for.
Bronny was born just prior to the start of LeBron’s second NBA season in 2004 near LeBron’s hometown of Akron, Ohio, which is less than an hour drive away from Cleveland.
LeBron touched on the importance of Bronny scoring his first points in Cleveland of all places, saying: “That meant everything to have it happen here. We didn’t plan it this way. It just kind of happened. He had an opportunity in the first game and he kind of missed a 3 on the right wing that I gave him the assist to, but God works in mysterious ways.”
According to Fedor, the Cleveland faithful chanted for Bronny to enter the game when it was essentially already in hand, and Lakers head coach JJ Redick obliged, much to the delight of the crowd.
Bronny also received an ovation for his first basket, which speaks to the impact the James family has had on Cleveland and its surrounding areas.
Ultimately, Bronny finished with two points on 1-of-2 shooting to go along with two assists and one steal in only five minutes of action.
It marked Bronny’s first minutes since the Lakers’ season-opening win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, which was highlighted by Bronny and LeBron becoming the first father-son duo to play in a game together in NBA history.
Since several players are ahead of Bronny in the pecking order, he doesn’t figure to play a ton in the NBA this season, which is why he is soon expected to spend some time in the G League, per ESPN’s Shams Charania and Dave McMenamin.
Even so, there may be some opportunities for him with the Lakers as the season progresses, and now he can approach those chances with the knowledge that he is capable of delivering when called upon.
