LOS Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James struggled during his highly anticipated debut.
The 19-year-old guard donned the Purple & Gold for the first time on Saturday night against the Sacramento Kings.
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Bronny, son of NBA icon LeBron James, was selected with the 55th pick in last month’s draft.
He signed a four-year contract with the Lakers worth $7.6 million.
James was named the starter when the Lakers faced the Kings in the NBA Summer League.
Wearing number 9, Bronny scored his first points as a Laker with a shot in the paint and an easy layup late in the first half.
READ MORE ABOUT BRONNY JAMES
But he left the field cold for the rest of the game, finishing with just 4 points in 22 minutes on the court.
James was 2 of 9 from the field, missing all three of his 3-point attempts in the 108-94 loss.
Bronny added two rebounds and two assists, as well as a steal.
“The atmosphere was better than I expected,” James said after the game.
“It’s a big game for me, but I didn’t know the people of Golden State would come and represent me, so it was really cool to see.”
“Moments like that can slow the game down for you, especially since I wasn’t as productive as I wanted to be before,” he added, referring to his first bucket.
“I couldn’t make the 3-ball drop, but every rep will be smoother.”
James played just 25 college games for the University of Southern California.
The teenager made an impressive return to the court last fall after suffering cardiac arrest in summer training camp.
“I hope he plays every game, we’ll see how it goes,” South Bay Lakers coach Dane Johnson said.
“We’re going to try to integrate it and get as many reps as we can.
Time for LeBron to retire?
“At the end of the day, I hate to say it, but I believe it in my soul right now: I wish LeBron James would retire.
“Not because I don’t want to see more LeBron James, not because I don’t appreciate LeBron James.
“But I honestly believe that deep down, the longer LeBron James continues to play basketball, the more it will hurt his legacy and the more it will continue to hurt his GOAT argument.
“As long as he steps on that floor, every season, there will be expectations that he will win a championship.
“And when he doesn’t, we’ll be looking at him and saying, ‘Well, what happened now?’”
ESPN star Kendrick Perkins speaking on First Take about LeBron James’ future in the NBA
“He needs more playing experience.
“He just needs to keep learning, getting reps and learning as much as he can.
“Like, your body, it can get worse if you use your shoulder, if you have a little advantage over someone. It’s just about building that trust in him.”
The Lakers will face the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on Sunday night, with James set to play again.
Bronny will have to wait to make his debut alongside his father LeBron.
The four-time NBA champion is currently in Las Vegas with the USA Basketball team.
LeBron joined his teammates on Friday ahead of the Paris Olympics later this month.
It’s the first time the 20-time All-Star has been to the Olympics since winning gold at London 2012.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
