The volume of the crowd moved quickly toward 10 as Bronny James gathered to take his first shot of NBA Summer League, collectively sighing after the three-pointer rolled out.
But before the disappointment could naturally fade, the offensive rebound swung back to him and he flew toward the basket, scoring on a layup while the nearly full Thomas & Mack Center roared.
If summer league is about seeing tomorrow’s stars today — the marketing might behind one of the NBA’s signature events — James represents a bit of a shift.
He’s already a star.
James, the No. 55 pick in the 2024 draft, has been a fixture on the event’s marketing signage despite his meager college stats because of his celebrity. And paired with the “Lakers” across his chest, he was one of the marquee players despite sharing the court Friday with one — Reed Sheppard — selected 52 spots ahead of him.
“Just the atmosphere,” James said of his Vegas debut. “A lot of people coming out and coming to support us and stuff like that.”
While James was some good but more bad (sort of the expectation for a guard picked No. 55), the first-round picks on the court, Sheppard and the Lakers’ Dalton Knecht, showed plenty of pop.
Sheppard scored 23 points in the Rockets’ 99-80 win, keeping the Lakers winless this summer after losing three times in the California Classic.
James scored six of his eight points in his first shift and finished with eight points, five rebounds and two steals, but he missed all eight of his three-point shots. He finished three-for-14 shooting from the field with three turnovers and no assists.
“I’m just going to the film and I’m looking at things that I always do,” James said. “There’s things that I should focus on and make sure I’m going over and stuff like that. Yeah, just always focusing on playing as hard as I can on the defensive end and whatever open looks I get on the offensive end, take it.”
Knecht had 25 points, six rebounds and four assists in his Vegas debut, heating up in the second half while showcasing the shooting touch that had the Lakers thrilled about his slip from a potential lottery pick to No. 17 on draft night.
“I always stay confident in my shot and I know my teammates got my back. So does the coaching staff,” he said. “So no matter what, I’m just going to let it fly.”