LeBron James wasn’t expected to make many public appearances this month after signing with the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency, but he just couldn’t stay away from his new team, and showed up at their Las Vegas Summer League game against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.
The LeBron hype machine is in full effect already, with broadcasters Mychal Thompson and Bill Macdonald joking about the endless cutaways that Spectrum Sportsnet was making to James.
Social media wasn’t much different, ready to document all of LeBron’s first moments in a Lakers uniform (or at least the $500 shorts half of it):
And it’s not just the shorts: James is ready to rock some fire Lakers-colored kicks as well, even showing them off on Instagram:
The Lakers actually on the floor were seemingly energized by the King’s presence, starting the game on a 14-3 run run and impressing James with their strong play throughout the first half:
James also took the time to say what’s up to a few of his new teammates, dapping up Josh Hart — who is very excited to play alongside James — and saying hello to Brandon Ingram, who also made an overshadowed appearance courtside:
Speaking of Ingram, Kyle Kuzma had a bit of fun with the third-year forward’s new haircut on Twitter:
Getting back to James, if it didn’t seem real enough that he had joined the Lakers before, it should certainly feel real now.