USC Basketball: Bronny James Has Modest Summer League Debut in Lakers Loss

The one-and-done former Trojan had a slight stat line.

Jul 6, 2024; San Francisco, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James Jr. (9) defends Sacramento Kings guard Antoine Davis (36) during the fourth quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports / Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Former one-and-done USC Trojans combo guard LeBron "Bronny" James Jr. had a fairly modest statistical night for his new squad, the 17-time champion Los Angeles Lakers, during his Summer League debut at the California Classic.

Suiting up against the Sacramento Kings in the Golden State Warriors' home arena, the Chase Center, Bronny James scored four points on 2-of-9 shooting from the floor (0-of-3 from deep) and 0-of-2 shooting from the charity stripe. The 6-foor-4 guard dished out two dimes, pulled down a pair of boards, and notched one steal across 21:43, while drawing the starting point guard gig. He was joined in the backcourt by the Lakers' first round draft pick, 23-year-old former Tennessee Volunteers shooting guard Dalton Knecht, who had a patchy night himself, scoring 12 points on 3-of-12 shooting from the floor and 5-of-9 shooting from the foul line.

James did have a big defensive night, however, including this standout moment:

BRONNY JAMES DEFENSE IS INSANE 🌟🌟🌟 pic.twitter.com/l7zFsjpl0g

— Hater Central (@TheHateCentral) July 6, 2024

Both James and Knecht finished with underwhelming -15 plus-minuses for the game.

Los Angeles would go on to fall, 108-94. Kings center Adonis Arms scored a game-high 32 points, while grabbing 11 rebounds, passing for five dimes, and notching a pair of steals. The Lakers' high scorer was former Pittsburgh small forward Blake Hinson, now signed to a two-way contract with the Lakers, who logged 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting off the bench (5-of-7 from deep) and 2-of-2 shooting from the foul line.

Tomorrow, Bronny James' Lakers will suit up once again, when they take on the Warriors at 3:30 p.m. PT.

More USC: West Contender Emerging As Probable Top DeMar DeRozan Destination