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Dave McMenamin, ESPN Staff Writer
SAN FRANCISCO — While the Los Angeles Lakers rested their starters and were blown out 132-74 by the Golden State Warriors in their preseason finale Friday, rookie guard Bronny James closed out the exhibition slate with some personal improvement.
Bronny, the eldest son of LeBron James who was picked No. 55 in the draft by L.A., started against the Warriors and scored 17 points on 7-for-17 shooting, with 4 rebounds, 3 steals and 1 block in 35 minutes.
“It just a great feeling to go out there and not think as much as I do and just play,” Bronny James said after the game.
The 20-year-old struggled mightily in his first five preseason games, scoring 8 points total on 4-for-20 shooting (0-for-7 from 3), with 5 turnovers.
Friday was a different story. James made his first shot less than a minute after tip-off, scoring on a cutting layup while absorbing contact at the rim. He also finally connected on a 3, beating the shot clock with a 28-foot jumper from the top of the arc in the second quarter.
Lakers coach JJ Redick said it was another step in the development of James, whom L.A. signed to a four-year, $7.9 million contract in the offseason.
“I think for him and all our younger players, all the moments are building blocks,” Redick said. “Not just the good moments. The bad moments are learning opportunities. I think you have to have a level of patience, a level of optimism. I’m very confident in the level of work that our young guys have had.
“So, again, I think for him, I’m sure it felt good to have 17 points. … I’m not even remotely concerned about that. It’s not even on my radar. Like, we’re trying to help him grow into a great basketball player.”
James’ preseason arc mirrored his showing during summer league play at the California Classic and in Las Vegas, when he took his lumps at first before scoring in double digits in his last two games, helping L.A. to two wins.
“[It gives me] just a little bit of confidence going into the season even though I might not be in that rotation, might not be playing, but just going into practice, maybe G League games with that confidence in myself to go out there and play my game,” James said. “I feel like that’s the biggest part of it.”
The Lakers’ other bright spot in the lopsided loss was rookie Quincy Olivari, an Exhibit 10 signee who led L.A. with 22 points on 8-for-16 shooting (5-for-9 from 3) and 7 rebounds.
Warriors star Stephen Curry, who was held out of the game because of a sprained finger, spent time with both James and Olivari afterward.
Olivari showed Curry a video of him as a child getting an autograph from the superstar guard when he attended a Warriors road game against the Atlanta Hawks. On Friday, Curry gifted him a pair of his sneakers and autographed those, too.
“I used to sleep under that jersey,” Olivari said, fighting back tears as he told reporters the story. “I just wanted to be like him so bad. So just to be able to meet him, him be able to have some respect for me and for us to talk in the back — he gave me a pair of his shoes and signed them. Like, that meant the world to me.”
Olivari’s Exhibit 10 deal will allow L.A. to retain his rights for its G League team, the South Bay Lakers. The Lakers could also choose to waive one of their three two-way players to bring him up to their NBA team at some point; however, currently those spots are occupied by big men as insurance behind Anthony Davis and Jaxson Hayes, with Christian Wood injured to start the season.
“I just want a job in the NBA,” Olivari said. “Like, it’s the only thing I’ve wanted since I was like 5 years old, and my dad always said my biggest gift is my energy. Energy can never be created or destroyed, only transferred. So I bring energy to whatever team wants me and I bring every group up.”