Lakers' Bronny James scores first basket and calls it 'dream come true'

CLEVELAND — With the game all but decided early in the second half and the Cavaliers cruising to a 134-110 victory and their first 5-0 start since 2016, the Cleveland crowd began rooting for the other team Wednesday night to press.

Especially for Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James, son of LeBron, the greatest player in Cavaliers history.

A “We want Bronny!” chant began midway through the third quarter and resumed midway through the fourth quarter when Lakers coach JJ Redick relented and subbed him in a regular season game for just the second time in his early career.

And this time he got his first NBA bucket.

Bronny scored on a 14-foot jumper from the left wing over Jaylon Tyson with 2:03 left in the fourth quarter, causing the wave of fans waiting for the moment to stand and show appreciation for the hometown product .

“It was crazy,” Bronny said of the reception after picking up two points, two assists and a steal in five minutes. “Certainly a lot more than I expected. But it's all love. It was crazy. It was a beautiful moment. The songs really touched me. I was serious, but I felt it and it felt really good, especially from here.” .

“Yes, it was definitely a special moment for me.”

LeBron said a moment like that might have overwhelmed him when he was a rookie with the Cavs in 2003.

“He's better than I would have been in this situation – 20,000 fans screaming my name to get into the game and wanting me to be there, and if the role had been reversed I don't know if I would be able to do that “I can handle it,” said LeBron, who scored 26 points but had six turnovers as his opponent lost in Cleveland for just the third time in 12 games. “To see him get his first NBA basket in this arena where he grew up not far from here is an incredible moment.

“First of all, an incredible moment for him. For our family. It’s just pretty cool to be a part of it.”

Bronny last played on opening night when he came off the bench alongside LeBron in the second quarter against the Timberwolves and shot 0-2 from the field in three minutes. This time he took the court as his father watched from the sidelines and his grandmother Gloria sat in the stands wearing a Lakers cap, watching another generation compete in the family business.

“I've been taught to play the right way my whole life,” Bronny said as he sat next to LeBron during the postgame press conference. “So, I’ll just go in and play my game, that’s always something I’ll do.”

The crowd was clamoring for Bronny to shoot the ball from the moment he checked in with 5:16 left in the fourth quarter. His teammates were responsible for seven shot attempts over the next three minutes before he finally scored one.

The game took place exactly ten days to the day as LeBron played his first game in his second stint with the Cavs – a four-year span in which he led the team to four consecutive NBA Finals appearances and its only championship in 2016 the history of the franchise. breaking a 53-year title drought for the City.

Although the Akron native was initially vilified by Cleveland sports fans when he signed with the Miami Heat as a free agent in 2010, his return healed old wounds and the region embraced LeBron and his family. That was abundantly clear on Wednesday when the Cavs greeted LeBron and Bronny with welcome images of them celebrating the title over the Golden State Warriors on a video screen next to the visitors' locker room and then using a timeout in the first quarter to record a tribute video for the Cavs play father-son pair.

“We spent a lot of years here,” LeBron said afterwards. “We are obviously part of this community. …We were born not far from here, 35 miles south of here, [our] Hometown of Akron. And I spent 11 years of my NBA career – half of my career – here.

“We have so many great moments. We have so many great moments not only on the floor of this arena, no matter what the name is, whether it was the Gund Arena or the Q, and now it's Rocket Mortgage. … A There are a lot of great memories on the field, but also a lot of great memories in this community. The mutual respect and love for what we have been able to accomplish in the years we have been here is definitely very humbling. “

For Bronny, who said he played pickup games on a hidden practice court on the top floor of the arena while his father was playing NBA games, he was able to relive his time on stage.

“Pretty much since I picked up the ball,” Bronny said when asked how long ago he envisioned scoring his first basket in the pros. “I watched [my dad] play in the league for a minute. I just dream that I follow in the footsteps of these players, not only [LeBron’s] but players he used to play against and with.

“So yeah, it’s just a dream come true for me.”