There was one gold Lakers jersey for sale at the pop-up merchandise stand in the lobby outside the UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo — and it represented why some of the Lakers’ biggest VIPs transformed a practice court into a venue for nearly 700 fans Saturday night — Bronny James.
In front of Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, coach JJ Redick, and players D’Angelo Russell, Anthony Davis and, of course, LeBron James, the Lakers rookie began the developmental league portion of his season, scoring six points with three rebounds and four assists in the South Bay Lakers’ 110-96 win over Utah’s G League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars.
James missed training camp with South Bay while he was on the road with the Lakers.
James made the first shot of the South Bay season, a baseline jumper similar to the one he made in Cleveland on Oct. 30 for his first NBA points. He scored on a floater in the lane, but couldn’t connect beyond that. He missed all four of his three-point shots.
Jalen Hood-Schifino, the Lakers’ 2023 first-round pick who recently had his third-year contract option with the team declined, started with second-year wing Maxwell Lewis, James and two-way players Christian Koloko and Quincy Olivari.
Hood-Schifino scored eight points but left before halftime with a leg injury.
Olivari, who earned a two-way contract in the preseason, scored 28 points to go with 10 rebounds and six assists while shooting seven for 15 from three-point range. Lewis, the Lakers’ second-round pick a season ago, scored 27 on 10-of-18 shooting.
The South Bay Lakers play next Friday against the Santa Cruz Warriors.