Bronny James (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Bronny James’ move to the LA Lakers has been heavily criticized by the NBA community. He was tagged with narratives of nepotism and scrutinized for his previous performances at USC. However, when the young guard set foot on the hardwood, fans started showing their support, which also surprised Bronny.

The young rookie appeared in the Purple and Gold jersey no. 9 for the first time to face the Sacramento Kings in the Summer League. What the 19-year-old didn’t see coming was the huge fan base cheering for him.

Talking about the enthusiastic crowd at the Chase Center, Bronny said, “Maybe the atmosphere. It was more than I expected. I mean, it’s a big game for me, but I didn’t know if people from Golden State would come and rep for me.” He concluded by saying, “So that was pretty nice to see.”

Bronny James on the biggest surprise in his summer league debut: "Maybe the atmosphere. It was more than I expected. I mean, it's a big game for me, but I didn't know if people from Golden State would come and rep for me. So that was pretty nice to see."

— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) July 6, 2024

The youngster has made a separate fan base, who were drawn towards his match, even before he could show his moves in the NBA. However, Bronny failed to impress them with his performance in the game.

Bronny James Performance in Summer League

Most basketball lovers eagerly looked forward to the day Bronny James would make his debut. That was either out of love for the former USC guard or to further criticize him, and Bronny couldn’t make the most of it.

Amid the high expectations, Bronny attempted 9 shots from the floor, raising hopes for his fans who were there to witness his first game with the Lakers. But the fans were left disappointed when only 2 of those shots reached the target. He also hit three shots from downtown but couldn’t convert them into buckets. Bronny finished with four points in the 94-108 game that ended in favor of the Kings.

Bronny James first basket as a member of the Lakers in Summer League 🔥pic.twitter.com/lhdBxlvtm9

— Backcourt Alerts (@BackcourtAlerts) July 6, 2024

Nevertheless, his superstar father, LeBron, was thrilled to see his firstborn perform in the franchise’s colors. Bronny still has ample opportunities to showcase his abilities when the regular season begins.