The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t add many pieces this offseason, but one that they did add was rookie second-round pick Adou Thiero. Second-round picks don’t always make big impacts, but the team is hoping that Thiero can develop into a rotational player.
The rookie has been injured all season. He wasn’t able to play in Summer League or the preseason. He’s way behind on his development, but the Lakers finally got him on the court on Saturday against the Milwaukee Bucks.
In five minutes of play, Thiero scored four points and made his first-ever NBA basket, which was a dunk. He also sank two free throws.
It’s still very early in his career, and Thiero isn’t likely to see playing time in closer games, but this is a positive step in the right direction. Though LeBron James has yet to play a game this season, he made sure to give the rookie a shoutout after he scored his first points.
“The first of many!!! Congrats Rook!” James wrote on Instagram.
There’s been talk about how James doesn’t want to be in Los Angeles anymore, but he still seems engaged with the team and is starting to ramp up toward his return.
Thiero Talks NBA Debut
It has been a long road for Thiero to make his NBA debut, but the Lakers made sure it was special. He could feel the energy from his teammates when he scored his first points.
“I heard them whenever I dunked the ball,” Thiero said, via Spectrum SportsNet. “I could hear them, so that was pretty hype. But coming down and seeing everybody flexing all over the bench, it was a good feeling for everybody to be happy for me.”
The Lakers are playing really well right now, but Thiero thinks they’re only scratching the surface of what they can do this season.
“I feel like we got a great team,” Thiero said. “The things we were able to accomplish, and we don’t even have LeBron James yet. I feel like we’re still figuring some things out, but when we fully get everything down, we got a chance to be something special.”
Lakers Made Sure Thiero Got Game Ball
After the Lakers beat the Bucks, Jarred Vanderbilt was doing what he could to secure the game ball for Thiero, but crew chief Pat Fraher wouldn’t allow him to take the ball.
“[Fraher] said he’s going to write me up,” Vanderbilt told ESPN. “I don’t know what the hell he’s talking about. These refs, they just want to have their power or something, I don’t know. I don’t know what he was reaching for. That’s been a thing since way before I was in the league. What, was he going to take the ball home or something?”
It stirred up some postgame drama before Giannis Antetokounmpo stepped in and gave the ball to the Lakers. Thiero was appreciative of his teammates for the gesture.
“At first I didn’t realize it was all for me,” Thiero said. “But I’m very thankful for this team. I think that shows how connected we are and how much we want each other to succeed.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post LeBron James Catches Attention With Message Sent to Lakers Rookie appeared first on Heavy Sports.