LAS VEGAS -- On the first play of the game, Los Angeles Lakers rookie guard Bronny James curled off a screen and sank a 17-foot pull-up jumper, drawing roars from the Lakers-friendly crowd at the Thomas & Mack Center.
That shot also offered some much-needed relief for James, the 55th overall pick in the 2024 draft who had struggled in his first four summer league games, averaging 4.3 points with a 22.6% field goal percentage, including missing all 15 of his 3-point attempts.
The struggles for the son of LeBron James had come under the enormous weight of attention that his play has drawn in two games in the California Classic in San Francisco and throughout the Lakers' first three games in Las Vegas, with his every move being scrutinized and the crowd groaning every time he missed a shot or passed the ball.