Sights and Sounds From LeBron James’ Los Angeles Lakers Debut

It's real. It actually happened.

After a summer filled with unprecedented hype, Lance Stephenson is a Los Angeles Laker.

Oh … LeBron is, too. That's why you clicked this article, right? OK fine, we can talk about him.

Not gonna lie, this is going to take some getting used to.

It was a dream start for the King, dropping a beautiful dime to Brandon Ingram and following it up with a DEEP long-range 3.

There was also some nice chemistry among all the fresh faces…

James ended up playing only 15 minutes and finished with:

• 9 points (2-for-6 FG)
• 3 rebounds
• 3 assists

One statistic of note, however, was when LeBron went to the bench at the end of the first quarter … the Lakers were up 25-24. When he came back in? Down 47-35. That's a 12-point deficit. No bueno.

Yeah, it's just preseason. Who cares? But if we're being completely transparent here — premonitions of 42-minute games, like he had to conquer every night last season with that Tune Squad of a supporting cast, flashed before my eyes.

Anyway, he briefly showed us why he's still one of the favorites to win the MVP Award again this season … Season No. 16, by the way.

2018-19 NBA MVP Odds

Following the game, LeBron spoke to the media about the night, his adoration for Lakers nation, what the team has to improve on, and the lineup "needing time".

If you're looking for the full LeBron opening night experience and have four minutes to spare, YouTuber u/Maxamillion711 has you covered: