LeBron James kicked off his Lakers debut with two signature dunks in a span of 19 seconds last night, giving Lakers fans inside Portland's Moda Center a first hand look of what's to come from the four-time NBA MVP.
James was up to his usual tricks in the season-opener, leading the Lakers in scoring and rebounds with 26 & 12, in addition to six assists, but the Lakers couldn't hang with the Blazers. Portland pulled away in the fourth to secure a 128-119 victory behind Damian Lillard's game-high 28 points and C.J. McCollum's 21.
After the game, LeBron was asked how long it will take for the Lakers' chemistry to develop. He explained that it's not like "instant oatmeal" and applauded his teammates' fight to get back in the game after trailing by double digits.
"Um, not as fast as you guys think it's going to happen," James said when asked how long it will take for the Lakers' chemistry to develop. "I always kind of compare it to like instant oatmeal. It is not that fast. It takes a while to get to where you can close your eyes and know exactly where your guys are."
"I liked our fight to get back in the game," James said. "We were down double digits. I liked the way we competed at times. I liked the way we shared the ball at times, as well. Those were all positives."
The Lakers struggled from behind the arc all night, missing their first 15 three-pointers before Josh Hart finally connected with 2:22 remaining in the third quarter. The team finished 7-of-30 from three point range.
LeBron and co. will return to the court on Friday night for their home opener against the Houston Rockets.