The 2024 NBA Summer League starts Friday in Las Vegas and Bronny James headlines the talent in Friday’s slate of games.
Alongside first-round pick Dalton Knecht, James — the No. 55 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft out of USC — will lead the Los Angeles Lakers into their Las Vegas Summer League lid-lifter vs. the Houston Rockets at 7:30 p.m. ET inside the Thomas & Mack Center.
It’s been a tough start to the summer for both James and the Lakers, who dropped all three of their games in the California Classic Summer League last week to the Miami Heat, Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors.
MORE: Watch Bronny James take on the Houston Rockets in the NBA Summer League on Fubo (free trial)
Meanwhile, Friday night’s contest in Las Vegas will be the first Houston has played this season. The Rockets’ summer league roster is headlined by No. 3 overall pick Reed Sheppard and 2023 first-round pick Cam Whitmore. Sheppard shot 53.6% from the floor and a nation-best 52.1% from 3-point range last season at Kentucky, where he was the SEC’s Freshman of the Year.
With that, follow along here for live updates, highlights and scores of Bronny James and the Lakers’ NBA Summer League game vs. the Houston Rockets on Friday:
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
| Los Angeles Lakers | — | — | — | — | — |
| Houston Rockets | — | — | — | — | — |
This section will be updated close to tipoff, which is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET
All times Eastern
6:05 p.m.: Dalton Knecht led the Lakers in points in their 92-68 loss to the Golden State Warriors in the California Classic Summer League on July 8, with 12 points on 3-of-13 shooting from the field. Colin Castleton led Los Angeles in rebounding with 10 boards.
6:04 p.m.: Under an hour and half from tip-off in Las Vegas, where Bronny James and the Lakers will take on the Rockets.
5:54 p.m.: Classy tribute here by the NBA, as it has put together a tribute seat for late NBA and Lakers legend Jerry West courtside at the Thomas & Mack Arena in Las Vegas. West passed away on June 12 at the age of 86. Famously known as “The Logo” of the NBA, West played all 14 seasons in the NBA with the Lakers.
ESPN will broadcast the Lakers and Rockets 2024 NBA Summer League game on Friday, July 12 at 7:30 p.m. ET from the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
You can stream Friday’s 2024 Las Vegas NBA Summer League contest between the Lakers and Rockets on the ESPN app by logging in with your TV provider credentials, on ESPN+ or on Fubo, which carries the ESPN family of networks and offers a free trial to select users.
Bronny James and the Lakers will take on the Houston Rockets in Game 1 of the Las Vegas Summer League on Friday, July 12 at 7:30 p.m. ET inside the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
In two games in San Francisco — he did not play in the Lakers final game due to a coaches’ decision — James finished with a combined seven points on 3-of-12 shooting (25%) from the field.
James next plays Friday, July 12 against the Houston Rockets at 7:30 p.m. ET in Game 1 of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
No. LeBron James is currently in Abu Dhabi with USA Basketball for two exhibition games against Australia and Serbia before heading off to the 2024 Paris Olympics. The four-time NBA champion is competing in his first Olympics with USA Basketball since the 2012 London Olympics.
In two games in the California Summer League last week, James averaged 3.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 25.3 minutes per game while shooting 25% from the field. James did not play in the Lakers’ 92-68 loss against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, July 7 due to a coach’s decision.
Here’s a game-by-game breakdown of James’ stats from the California Summer League:
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James signed a four-year/$7.9 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, July 3 after the Lakers selected the USC guard with the No. 55 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. As noted by Field of 68 Network’s Jeff Goodman, James’ contract with the Lakers is one of the bigger contracts for a player taken with the No. 55 overall pick in recent year. Last year’s No. 55 overall pick, Miami’s Isaiah Wong, signed a two-way contract with the Indiana Pacers that was worth around $600,000 and $700,000 per Goodman.
Here’s a breakdown of James’ Annual Average Value (AAV) per year according to ESPN:
Here is the Lakers’ summer league schedule, including their three games in the California Classic Summer League:
| Date | Opponent |
| Wednesday, July 10 | Miami 80, Los Angeles 76 (California Classic Summer League) |
| Saturday, July 6 | Sacramento 108, Los Angeles 94 (California Classic Summer League) |
| Sunday, July 7 | Golden State 92, Los Angeles 68 (California Classic Summer League) |
| Friday, July 12 | Los Angeles vs. Houston (NBA Summer League) |
| Monday, July 15 | Los Angeles vs. Boston (NBA Summer League) |
| Wednesday, July 17 | Los Angeles vs. Atlanta (NBA Summer League) |
| Thursday, July 18 | Los Angeles vs. Cleveland (NBA Summer League) |
Here’s the Lakers’ full 2024 Summer League roster:
Listed in numerical order
Guards
Forwards
* denotes rookie status
Here is the Rockets’ summer league schedule:
| Date | Opponent |
| Friday, July 12 | Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers (NBA Summer League) |
| Sunday, July 14 | Houston Rockets vs. Washington Wizards (NBA Summer League) |
| Monday, July 15 | Houston Rockets vs. Detroit Pistons (NBA Summer League) |
| Thursday, July 18 | Houston Rockets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (NBA Summer League) |
Here’s the Rockets’ full 2024 Summer League roster:
Listed in numerical order
Guard
Forward
* denotes rookie status
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