With oversized headphones in his ears and decked out in gold Lakers gear, rookie Bronny James looked so much like his famous father that some fans at Chase Center did a double take as he prepared to make his NBA Summer League debut.
Their familiar gestures, facial expressions, the way they run and shuffle on defense. And Bronny James officially began his professional career on Saturday when he joined the Los Angeles starting lineup. He will wear No. 9, not to be confused with the No. 6 jersey his father wore before changing to No. 23.
The little brother of James finished with four points on 2-of-9 shooting, missed all three of his 3-point attempts, two assists, two rebounds and a steal in just under 22 minutes of court time (21:43 to be exact) as the Lakers lost to the Sacramento Kings, 108-94.
James played about six minutes in his first game but missed his first two shots — he grabbed a defensive rebound 1:20 into the game and missed a 21-foot jumper shortly after — and then missed a 26-foot 3-pointer with 4:23 to go in the first quarter before he could catch his breath.
James was greeted with cheers and warm applause when he returned to the court at 8:17 in the second quarter. Sacramento's Xavier Snead attempted a 3-pointer from the right wing with 7:23 left and James was called for his first career foul, but James argued briefly before it was overturned on a replay review. James then attempted a 3-pointer from above the arc at the front rim with 7:04 to go, but missed.
Then, 5:51 before halftime, James scored his first NBA points on a driving layup. He attempted his first free throws at the 4:43 mark of the third period, but missed both.
At one point during warmups, the 6-foot-2 guard stood with his hands on his hips in a stance similar to his father's. Then, during games, the son leaned over the 3-point corner on the baseline, clutching his knees, waiting for the start of an offensive possession.
LeBron and Bronny James are trying to make history as the first father-son duo to play in the NBA at the same time.
Bronny James, drafted by the Lakers with the 55th overall pick in the second round out of the University of Southern California, started against the Kings in his highly anticipated debut at the California Classic at San Francisco Arena, home of the Golden State Warriors.
He will likely get another chance to play Sunday when the Lakers face the Warriors again at Chase Center.
If all goes according to plan, the 19-year-old James and his father will become the first father-son duo to play in the NBA at the same time and on the same team.
Bronny is the eldest son of NBA all-time leading scorer LeBron. On July 24, he suffered cardiac arrest during an informal team practice at the University of Southern California, and was later diagnosed with congenital heart disease. His younger brother James signed a four-year contract with an annual salary of $7.9 million.
“There's definitely an added layer of pressure,” Bronny James said last week upon being formally introduced by the Lakers. “I've already seen some talk on social media and the internet that maybe I don't deserve this opportunity, but I've dealt with these things my whole life. It's no different. There's definitely an added layer of pressure, but I can handle it.”
