It was finally time for Bronny James to prove his worth. The 19-year-old made his Summer League debut alongside fellow draftee Dalton Knecht, at the California Classic, against the Sacramento Kings. Amidst a warm reception from the people of San Francisco, Bronny secured a score of 4 points, 2 rebounds, and assists each, along with 1 steal. Knecht ended his debut run with 12 points, 4 assists, and 2 rebounds and steals. Both scores aren’t as impressive as some had expected, but LeBron James was still optimistic.

The NBA All-Time Leading Scorer, who is currently in Vegas to prepare for the Paris Olympics, wasn’t present to see his son’s debut. However, he did watch the highlights from the comfort of his practice facility. When walking down the stairs, he was handed a clip of Bronny’s first layup made as he rushed across the court while being defended by three rival players. LeBron’s proud father instincts instantly kicked in as he replied, “Come on man, that’s tough. That’s tough. Get loose.”

The NBA star didn’t seem to mind his eldest son’s low stats, given that it is still early stages. “You can’t take anything stat-wise from the California Classic and Summer League and bring it once the season starts,” LeBron said via LA Times. “The only thing that matters is him getting better and stacking days.”

LeBron didn’t just limit his voice of support for his son. He also sang the praise of Dalton Knecht, who was selected as the 17 overall pick during the draft. Although his 12 points were not enough to allow the Lakers to win their recent matchup, the 23-year-old rookie still ended up receiving praise from the 4-time champion that others could only dream about. “Throughout the course of the college season, Dalton, besides Bronny, was my favorite player in college basketball,” the 39-year-old said.

“I just liked his ability to shoot the ball, his athleticism, his height, his demeanor that he played with. I’ve always kinda felt that his game would translate to the NBA. I did not think he would fall to 17 at all, so I didn’t think we’d have an opportunity to get him. I’m glad he did.”

The Summer League debut served as a foundation for what Lakers fans should expect from the two rookies moving forward. With missed shots and a late start to his scoring, the young player realizes that the same shouldn’t be repeated during the upcoming games.

Amidst LeBron James downplaying summer debut, Bronny James and LA’s coach highlight the next steps

Despite receiving support from his father, Bronny James admitted that his debut performance proved improvements need to be made. Highlighting his first-ever career foul decision that was later overturned, the 19-year-old stated, “Moments like that can slow the game down for you especially because I wasn’t as productive as I wanted to beforehand.” With the player not making his first points until 5:51 minutes remaining till halftime, Bronny also attributed his performance to the nervousness he developed before the game.

“Every first game that I step on the next level there’s always some butterflies in my stomach, but as soon as the ball tips and we go a couple times down it all goes away and I’m just playing basketball,” said the Lakers rookie. “It’s always going to be there, but I’ll get through it.”

Dane Johnson, the coach of the South Bay Lakers, L.A.’s G League affiliate, knew that the Summer League performance wasn’t something that should be considered the threshold of the player. He proceeded to give out a statement that said “He’s (Bronny) just got to keep learning, keep getting reps and learning how much he’s capable of.”The coach stated that Bronny James making use of his shoulder when attempting to break the rival’s defense can prove ineffective. Furthermore, just as the player himself stated, Johnson emphasized a bout of confidence that he should develop.

Bronny James wasn’t as sharp as he should have been in regards to his shooting skills. After all, this was the same individual who recording 19-25 three pointers during the shooting drill at the NBA Combine. However, the one place where the player seemed to shine was defense. Getting hold of a defensive rebound within the first 1:20 minutes of the game, recording a steal, and making use of multiple deflected passes showed that Bronny had an understanding of how to best make use of the ball when not being able to perform offensively. The young star’s ability as a passer and defender is what Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka reportedly admired. At the same time, however, the GM emphasized on the need for “downhill guards in our program that can put pressure on the paint.” Therefore, during the upcoming game against the Golden State Warriors, Bronny can continue building up on his defensive stat while also developing a grip in terms of shots.

According to you, what aspect of his game should the 19-year-old work on? Let us know in the comments below.

Before leaving, be sure to check out some insights that Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, shared about the Lakers legend’s infamous feud with the late Kobe Bryant.