LOS ANGELES — As LeBron James killed some pregame time watching his old Cleveland Cavaliers team play on the flat-screen television in front of his new locker in the Lakers‘ renovated home locker room, nearly 10 cameras were recording him just sitting there.
Later, when James stepped onto the court at Staples Center for his first warm-up as part of the home team, the Lakers’ side of the floor was surrounded by a wall of camera operators, and reporters lined up along the baseline and at the corners to catch his every move.
On Tuesday night, James made his home debut at Staples Center as a Los Angeles Laker, and this felt far from a preseason game against the Denver Nuggets. L.A. fans did something they don’t typically do: They arrived early to their seats to catch a glimpse of the biggest superstar to wear a Lakers uniform since Kobe Bryant. Even in the revamped locker room, James’ stall sits basically where Bryant’s locker used to be.
The Lakers renovated locker room with LeBron’s new locker basically in the spot where Kobe’s locker used to be. pic.twitter.com/NfXTt8KMI3
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) October 3, 2018
Outside Staples Center, a Nike ad of James dunking ran down the side of a nearby building. Inside, a buzz could be heard and felt through the arena when James did something as simple as bring the ball up the court.
He tried to give fans a show early as he threw a no-look, behind-the-back pass to Rajon Rondo in the corner, but the Lakers didn’t score on the possession. James also attempted a one-handed lob to JaVale McGee in transition for a dunk, but McGee caught the ball with his momentum going past the basket.
James scored his first basket in his new home arena on a driving bank shot with 6:43 to go in the first quarter. And he drew some oohs and ahhs from the crowd by throwing a full-court pass to Josh Hart for a score before later deflecting a pass that started a fast break that Brandon Ingram finished with a score.
The crowd finally got its first major James highlight when he threw down a powerful dunk in transition with 3:17 left in the first quarter.
James certainly had to feel the energy in Staples. He admitted he felt excitement in San Diego when the Lakers made their preseason debut against Denver on Sunday, as he later noted on his Instagram page by writing the caption “Can’t even front, it’s just felt different! Goosebumps!” to a picture of him in a Lakers uniform for the first time in a game.
Like he did in the preseason opener, James played a total of 15 first-half minutes before sitting out the second half. He made 5 of 6 shots, including a 3-pointer, and finished with 13 points, three assists, three rebounds, two steals and four turnovers.
At the Lakers’ morning shootaround, James said about playing in Staples for the first time as a Laker: “It’s a new beginning, a new start, it’s a new excitement for myself.”
The star forward basically echoed how the fan base feels after watching the franchise fail to make the playoffs every year since 2013.
Just don’t mention the word “playoffs” around Luke Walton in October. The Lakers head coach was asked pregame about the roster being constructed with the playoffs in mind for the first time in a long time, and how having veterans could help once the team is in the postseason.
“Once we get to what? The playoffs? You want me talking about that? Zero chance,” Walton said. “We’re so far from the playoffs, we’re not talking about the playoffs at all. We’re just talking about what we need to do now, and the habits we need to do, need to build, to have a chance to have some success at the end of the year.”
While the fans seem breathless for anything James does on the court, the star is preaching patience, something he has mentioned several times this preseason so far.
“All of us [have to have patience], not just me,” James said. “I think we’re a new group, we’re not at the level a lot of teams are as far as cohesiveness and chemistry, so every day is another opportunity for us to get better and not take a step back.”
Source:ESPN
