Thursday 11 October 2018 11:27, UK
Lebron James' Los Angeles Lakers debut ended in a 124-107 defeat to the Denver Nuggets in a pre-season match.
Playing in the same arena where Magic Johnson made his regular-season debut for Los Angeles 39 years ago, James captivated the crowd from the start of the Lakers' exhibition opener Sunday night.
The opening tip came James' way and he tapped it to fellow newcomer Rajon Rondo, who threw an alley-oop pass to JaVale McGee for the game's first score.
James missed his first shot, a turnaround fadeaway, but then made a no-look bounce pass from about 27 feet out to Brandon Ingram for a dunk. A minute later, James hit a long 3-pointer.
He finished with nine points, three rebounds and four assists in just more than 15 minutes.
"It was great to get back on the floor and start a new journey for myself," James said after the loss.
James left the Cleveland Cavaliers for a four-year, $153.3 million free-agent deal with the Lakers.
Asked before the game what stands out about James, coach Luke Walton said, "His intelligence. He sees everything. He knows even before drills. He knows where he's going. His work ethic. He's out there pre-practice with the guys, post-practice with the guys. Taking care of his body in the weight room.
"He's the ultimate professional."
The Lakers' regular-season opener is Oct. 18 at Portland. Their home opener is two nights later against Houston.
