The Los Angeles Lakers got their summer league action started in the California Classic on Saturday, but second-year guard Bronny James is still waiting to hit the floor.
The Lakers opted not to dress James, the son of Lakers star LeBron James, in the game against the Golden State Warriors. The Lakers went on to lose 89-84, and after the game some fans expressed surprise that James was not given the chance to play.
As Caleb Hightower of The Sporting News noted, the Lakers had not given any advanced notice that James would not be in the lineup.
"Entering the day, there was no indication that Los Angeles would sideline James to begin Summer League action," Hightower wrote.
Many expected James to play in the team's summer slate as he fights for a spot on the roster next season. The former USC guard, who split last season between the Lakers and the team's G League affiliate, said he has been working hard to get in good shape this summer.
"I’m just running a lot," James said. "Getting a lot of conditioning in ... it’s just Year 2, so I've got to lock in on the things that I didn’t know before my rookie year and excel with that."
With James watching Saturday's game in street clothes, former G Leaguer DJ Steward had the chance to shine, scoring 20 points on 7-for-10 shooting.