Bronny James made his 2025 summer league debut, scoring 10 points in 10 minutes during the Lakers’ win over the Miami Heat in the California Classic at the Chase Center on Sunday.
The Lakers led for most of the game, rolling to a 103-83 victory.
The Heat went on a 10-0 run to start the third quarter, but the Lakers responded with strong perimeter shooting to maintain a double-digit lead.
Cole Swider was the Lakers’ leading scorer for the second consecutive game, finishing with 20 points against the Heat. Swider shot seven of 10 from the field, including two of five from three-point range.
Read more:Lakers lose to Warriors in California Classic opener as Bronny James sits out
“We have to get back to defending how we did in the first half, I thought we did a great job,” Swider said. “They only had 38 points in the first half. They came out high, but we were able to weather the storm and win the third quarter, which was huge for us.”
James, who didn’t suit up for the Lakers’ loss to the Warriors on Saturday, was three-of-seven shooting and two-of-five from three-point range. He sat out the second half because of a minutes restriction for conditioning.
“It felt good, just getting out there for the first time this summer. I’m just trying to make a difference any way I can defensively and offensively,” James said. “… First wind was definitely tough. … Pretty much just trying to go out there have fun and not be so tired while I’m doing it.”
Bronny opened up the game with a steal and fast-break dunk to score the Lakers’ first points.
BRONNY JAMES WITH THE HUGE THROWDOWN 😮💨
MIA-LAL | California Classic on NBA TV pic.twitter.com/D9ctrSHfgn
— NBA (@NBA) July 6, 2025
The Lakers shot 57.1% from the field and stepped up their perimeter defense while limiting the Heat to 14 free throws. Miami made just eight of 27 (29.6%) from beyond the three-point line.
Swider said as one of the veterans on the roster, he tries to provide support for younger players.
“This is my fourth year doing this thing, I think I might be the oldest guy on the roster,” he said. “Just giving these guys a game, trying to help Dalton [Knecht] as much as possible, trying to help Bronny as much as possible. Me and Bronny had a great stint together with the South Bay Lakers, so just trying to continue that chemistry and continuity.”
The Lakers get a day off before they play the San Antonio Spurs in the final game of the California Classic on Tuesday. Tipoff will be at 7 p.m. The team will then travel to Las Vegas for the remainder of its summer league schedule.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Bronny James made his 2025 summer league debut, scoring 10 points in 10 minutes during the Lakers’ win over the Miami Heat in the California Classic at the Chase Center on Sunday.
The Lakers led for most of the game, rolling to a 103-83 victory.
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The Heat went on a 10-0 run to start the third quarter, but the Lakers responded with strong perimeter shooting to maintain a double-digit lead.
Cole Swider was the Lakers’ leading scorer for the second consecutive game, finishing with 20 points against the Heat. Swider shot seven of 10 from the field, including two of five from three-point range.
Read more: Lakers lose to Warriors in California Classic opener as Bronny James sits out
James, who didn’t suit up for the Lakers’ loss to the Warriors on Saturday, was three-of-seven shooting and two-of-five from three-point range. He sat out the entire second half.
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The Lakers shot 57.1% from the field and stepped up their perimeter defense while limiting the Heat to 14 free throws. Miami made just eight of 27 (29.6%) from the three-point line.
The Lakers get a day off before they play the San Antonio Spurs in the final game of the California Classic on Tuesday. Tipoff will be at 7 p.m. PDT. The team will then travel to Las Vegas for the remainder of its summer league schedule.
Sign up for our weekly newsletter on all things Lakers.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
