Luke Kennard finished with 10 points on 4-for-7 shooting (2-for-4 from three), plus two assists and two rebounds in his Lakers debut, calling it "something special" while saying his focus was simply to be aggressive, hunt shots, and help the team get the win.
New Los Angeles Lakers sharpshooter Luke Kennard, the league leader in three-point shooting accuracy, made an immediate impact in his debut as the Lakers defeated the Golden State Warriors 105-99 on Saturday night.
Kennard wasted no time announcing himself, drilling his first shot – a high-arcing 25-foot three-pointer – with 2:23 left in the first quarter.
Acquired Thursday from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Gabe Vincent, Kennard played his role perfectly off the bench.
He finished with 10 points, shooting 4-for-7 from the field and 2-for-4 from beyond the arc, while also adding two assists and two rebounds.
"I mean, it's huge to play at a place like this," Kennard said after the game. "I mean, the biggest stage in basketball, it's something special. The expectation was obviously to get a win.
"That's the biggest thing at the end of the day," he continued. "But for me, just to be aggressive out there, try to make plays when I can and have an impact, whether that's shooting, passing, screening, rebounding, anything," he added. "That was my expectation for myself, and I thought it was a really good win."
Kennard admitted he was eager to get his first shot up in purple and gold.
"I was definitely hunting a shot," he said. "I looked at my first shot, and it was crazy high, but it felt good when it left my hands. They want me to be aggressive and shoot the ball. Whenever I check in the game, I'm looking to hunt threes and get them up."
Kennard was also asked about the feeling of playing alongside LeBron James, whom he once watched growing up in Ohio and even played for on LeBron's AAU team.
"It's definitely a full circle moment being from Ohio, watching him obviously in Cleveland, growing up playing for his AAU team," Kennard said. "I've been a big fan of his since I was young, and it's definitely something special when you're putting on the same jersey as him and going out there and competing with him.
"Obviously, I've played against him for the last nine years, and it's special watching him as a player, but it's a lot different when you're playing with him and the things he can do. He went on that little run by himself there, and in the second half, that really kind of got us going, got us some momentum, and it's special to watch."
With the win, the Lakers improved to 32–19 on the season.
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