King James shines despite loss in LA Lakers debut
LeBron James dazzled the crowd in his exhibition debut for the Los Angeles Lakers yesterday morning (Singapore time), but he couldn't get them a victory as they dropped a 124-107 decision to the Denver Nuggets.
James finished with nine points, three rebounds and four assists in just over 15 minutes of playing time in front of 13,500 fans at the Valley View Casino in San Diego.
"It was great to get back on the floor and start a new journey for myself," he said.
"It was great to hear the roar from the (San Diego) crowd."
James was cheered throughout the contest with one of the biggest ovations coming when he emerged from the tunnel for the pre-game warm-up.
He played eight minutes before sitting down on the bench.
James left the Cleveland Cavaliers for a four-year, US$153 million (S$209m) free-agent deal with the Lakers.
Lakers fans feel James is just what the struggling team need during their worst half-decade in history.
The Lakers' NBA regular-season opener is on Oct 18 at Portland, followed two nights later by their first home game against Houston.
In Washington, the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Miami Heat 104-100 in a pre-season match.
Forward Rudy Gay scored 13 points and five rebounds to lead the Spurs, while LaMarcus Aldridge added 10 points and four rebounds.
Derrick White came off the bench to score 12 points, while centre Hassan Whiteside led Miami with 20 points and 13 rebounds.
Dwyane Wade had 10 points. - AFP
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