What to Know
- LeBron James makes his Los Angeles Lakers' home debut on Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018 at 7:30 p.m.
- James signed a 4-year contract worth $154 million with the Lakers in July.
- The Lakers have missed the playoffs for five straight seasons.
LeBron James makes his highly anticipated regular season home debut on Saturday night at Staples Center, and the NBA superstar spoke with reporters at the team's morning shootaround in El Segundo.
"Hi," James waved and smiled at reporters that had a noticeably foreign accent asking him to say hello to the international audience and tell them what to expect this season. "Expect greatness."
The foreign accent asking a question on Saturday morning provided a window into the international event that Saturday's game at Staples Center has turned into, predominantly due to James' arrival in LA.
The Lakers shared that 250 credentials had been issued for the game from 15 countries and territories. In addition, Saturday's game is expected to reach fans in 179 countries, according to the NBA's communications department.
The buzz around Saturday's game has been impossible to miss. It's the hottest ticket in town, and Staples Center promises to be packed to the brim, with celebrities sparkling courtside.
James, however, says he isn't one to focus on the festive atmosphere.
Sports
Get today's sports news out of Los Angeles. Here's the latest on the Dodgers, Lakers, Angels, Kings, Galaxy, LAFC, USC, UCLA and more LA teams.
"I just never been a guy to kind of take a moment in the present," James said. "I think when I'm done playing the game of basketball, [I can] look back on tonight or some of the nights that I've had in my careers and be like, 'That was an unbelievable night' or 'That night was better than other nights.'"
James did acknowledge the excitement surrounded the day, especially from fans and the city. The 33-year-old made a point to set expectations for supporters.
"We're excited to showcase to our fans what we've been working on for the last month." James said. "I can promise to our fans we're not the team tonight we're going to be in January or February, but we will be extremely excited to get out there and play in front of them."
Asked about what his message is to Lakers' fans everywhere on a day like Saturday, James shrugged his shoulders and smirked, "It's game day."
The Lakers host the Houston Rockets with a scheduled tip-off time of 7:30 p.m. Pacific Time.
Notes: Lakers coach Luke Walton said he would stick with the same starting lineup that featured in the team's season opener in Portland.
