Many NBA fans who were curious to see how Bronny James would perform in his NBA Summer League debut in Las Vegas ended up seeing a show from another rookie.
James scored eight points, grabbed four rebounds and stole two in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 99-80 loss to the Houston Rockets. The rookie guard played 20 minutes and scored two points in the second half. He shot 3 of 12 from the field and 0 of 6 from 3-point range.
Those eight points are, however, the highest total James has scored in his three Summer League games. He scored four in his Summer League debut against the Sacramento Kings and scored three against the Miami Heat, both games played in the California Classic. (James missed the Lakers’ second game in California due to knee inflammation.)
Reed Sheppard was the rookie who impressed many viewers. The third overall pick in June’s NBA draft led Houston with 23 points, along with four rebounds, five assists and three blocks. He made 4 of 6 three-pointers and 9 of 17 field goals.
The Lakers will face the Boston Celtics in the Summer League, which is set to begin on Monday night at 10:30 p.m. ET.