NBA Summer League Exec: Bronny James, Lakers vs. Rockets 'on the Verge' of Sellout

Bronny James and the Los Angeles Lakers are set to face off against the Houston Rockets on Friday, which could draw a large audience in Las Vegas.

Warren LeGarie, the executive director of Las Vegas Summer League, revealed that James could be playing in front of a sold-out crowd.

"We're on the verge of it right now," LeGarie told Sportskeeda's Mark Medina. "People are always worried they can't get in on opening weekend. Everyone wants to be here on opening weekend. We're very close."

The No. 55 overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft has already appeared in two games during California Classic action with varying results. In his debut, he scored four points and grabbed two rebounds on 2-9 shooting. While James only dropped three points in his second game, he also added three blocks and two steals.

The 19-year-old made history when he was drafted and subsequently signed a four-year rookie contract worth $7.9 million, joining LeBron James to become the only active father-son duo in NBA history.

LeGarie revealed that the league was anticipating the younger James' debut in Las Vegas before his freshman season at USC started.

"We've been anticipating this for about a year and a half," he said, per Medina. "Not that we knew anything. But you develop instincts after a few years of doing this. We always believed Bronny would be in this draft. No matter what, he's a great story."

The Las Vegas Summer League has featured sold-out games before, as Victor Wembanyama's first appearance after he was selected with the No. 1 choice in 2023 also resulted in a packed arena.

While it may be surprising to see the same attention given to a late second-round pick, it's easier to understand when given the context of James' journey to the association. Lakers fans will also likely be making the trip to Thomas & Mack Center to get a closer look at the team's new reserve shooting guard.

James and Los Angeles will face off against Houston on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET.