Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has always been a huge attraction, and while Father Time is catching up to him, his status as one of the league's most bankable stars hasn't changed.
Look at the Drew League for example. While the pro-am competition is popular and always attracts thousands of viewers, LeBron's presence took it to another level.
The Lakers star made his Drew League return for the first time in 11 years on Saturday, and with news of his appearance breaking earlier in the day, fans naturally waited and tuned in to see him in action. Aside from the massive lines outside the King/Drew Magnet High School, hundreds of thousands of viewers also watched the livestream of the game.
The line outside King/Drew Magnet High School in hopes to see Kyrie Irving and LeBron James play some hoops today pic.twitter.com/obU9yNSPbT
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) July 16, 2022
150k now pic.twitter.com/45PIRBsoEE
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) July 16, 2022
Luckily for everyone who watched LeBron James play, the Lakers superstar didn't disappoint and put on quite the show. He threw down the ball with force every time he gets the opportunity to dunk–even almost ruining the hoop after a backboard alley-oop.
James finished with 42 points on 18-of-36 shooting. He also had 16 rebounds in the 104-102 victory.
For his part, James looked like he enjoyed the experience as well. It has been over a decade since he last played in the Drew League, and he loved the energy the crowd showed from start to finish.
While it remains to be seen if LeBron will show up in other Drew League games (which is unlikely), the tournament won't be short of high-profile players starring in games. In fact thanks to James, even Trae Young wants to play as well.
Now that's the LeBron effect!
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