James’ Reveals Why He Wanted To Become An NBA Player And How It Felt To Be Drafted
James is inching closer to his possible NBA debut, as the Lakers’ second-round pick completed Summer League and is waiting for NBA training camp to start. In the meantime, featured in a video on the Lakers YouTube channel where he reveals more about himself to the fans, answering various questions.
shared his profile as a player for fans unfamiliar with his game.
“Relentless defender. I can catch and shoot, knock it down, but also can create for myself and create for others. Probably just like an undersized, athletic guard.
The 19-year-old shared how watching his dad play in the NBA inspired him to follow this as his passion, also discussing how he felt going into Draft night and hearing his name called.
“Growing up and seeing my dad in front of all the crowd and stuff, it was a dream for me… To be honest, just tried to keep my mind as far away as possible. I felt really calm and happy where I was… Hearing my name called, it was a lot of emotions.”
also reiterated why he picked the No. 9 jersey as an homage to deceased rapper Juice WRLD.
“No. 9 resonated with me, especially because I had three of them tatted on me. But Juice World’s, his nine-nine-nine meaning, it’s turning everything negative and flipping it upside down.
James knows he’s headed into a situation that could turn hostile but is excited to represent for Lakers fans.
“Playing for Laker fans is going to be a lot, but I’m excited to do it and excited to see you guys.”
is coming off unconvincing showings at the NBA Summer League, where he averaged 8.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game. He shot 35.0% from the field and 15.8% from 3.
Lakers’ Summer League Coach Gave Mixed Reviews
numbers can be considered deceiving, but no amount of off-ball intangibles will make up for a 6’1″ guard being as inconsistent offensively as was. The Lakers Summer League coach, Dane Johnson, gave a very frank assessment of performances.
“He had two pretty good games last two. I think it’s just going to help him going into the summer so we can work on different things with him. Just that confidence and knowing he can play at this level. It’s still going to take a lot of time and a lot of reps. In general, he doesn’t let any of that stuff get to him. He just wants to play basketball and be on a team. He’s a good kid. He’s listening. He’s trying to learn.”
