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Dave McMenamin, ESPN Staff Writer
CLEVELAND — With the game all but decided early in the second half, the Cleveland crowd cheered on their opponents Wednesday night as the Cavaliers cruised to a 134-110 victory and their first 5-0 start since 2016. I started doing it.
Especially Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James, the son of LeBron, the greatest player in Cavaliers history.
“We want Bronny!” chants began midway through the third quarter and resumed midway through the fourth when Lakers coach JJ Redick acquiesced, making it just his second regular-season game early in his career. .
And this time, he got his first NBA bucket.
With 2:03 left in the fourth quarter, Bronny hit a 14-foot stepback jumper from the left side over Jaylon Tyson to score, and a wave of fans stood up to watch the moment. and expressed their gratitude for local products. .
“It was insane,” said Bronny, who had two points, two assists and a steal in five minutes. “It was definitely more than I expected. But it was all about love. It was crazy. It was a beautiful moment. The chants really touched me. I was straight, but I felt it. , it felt really good, especially coming from here.”
“Yeah, it was definitely a special moment for me.”
LeBron said a moment like that might have consumed him when he was a Cavs rookie in 2003.
“He’s better than I was in that situation. 20,000 fans screaming my name and wanting me to play. If the positions were reversed, I don’t know if I would have played. I don’t know. Deal with it,” said LeBron, who scored 26 points but had six turnovers as he lost for the third time in 12 games against Cleveland. “It’s an incredible moment to see him win his first NBA basket in this arena where he grew up, not far from here.
“First of all, it’s an incredible moment for him, but also for our family. It’s really great to be a part of it.”
Bronny last played in the season opener, coming off the bench with LeBron in the second quarter against the Timberwolves, going 0-for-2 from the field in three minutes. This time, he took to the court, his father watching from the sideline and his grandmother, Gloria, sitting in the stands wearing a Lakers hat, watching another generation compete in the family business.
Bronny sat next to LeBron in the postgame press conference and said, “All my life I’ve just been taught to make the right plays.” “So just me going in there and playing my game is always what I try to do.”
From the moment Bronny checked in with 5:16 left in the fourth quarter, the crowd yelled for him to shoot the ball. Over the next three minutes, his teammates attempted seven shots, but he ultimately made one.
This game marks 10 years since LeBron played his first game in his second stint with the Cavs — he led the team to four straight NBA Finals appearances and the team’s only championship in franchise history in 2016. It was a great four years. It broke a 53-year city title drought.
The Akron, Ohio, native was initially vilified by Cleveland sports fans when he signed with the Miami Heat as a free agent in 2010, but his return healed old wounds and rallied the community around LeBron and his family. . It started Wednesday when the Cavs greeted LeBron and Bronny with a welcome video celebrating their title win against the Golden State Warriors on a video screen by the visitor’s locker room, then used a first-quarter timeout to play a Warriors tribute video. That was abundantly clear as it flowed. father and son pair.
“We spent many years here,” LeBron said afterward. “Obviously, we’re part of this community. … We were born not far from here, 35 miles south of here. [our] Hometown of Akron. And I spent 11 years here, half of my NBA career.
“We’ve had a lot of great moments, not just on the floor of this arena, but whatever the name is, whether it’s Gund Arena or Q and now Rocket Mortgage. There are a lot of great moments. …A lot of great memories on the court, but also a lot of great memories in this community and off the floor for what we were able to accomplish in the years we were here. The respect and love we have for each other is definitely a very humbling feeling.”
For Bronny, who used to play pick-up games on the practice court on the top floor of the arena while his father played NBA games, it was a chance to take center stage.
When asked how long he envisioned making his first professional basket, Bronny replied, “It’s been quite a while since I picked up the ball.” “I’ve seen [my dad] While playing in the league. Not only do I dream of being in the steps of those players; [LeBron’s] But the players he used to play against and with.
“Yes, it was a dream come true for me.”
