Latest news with #DJSteward
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Duke Star Turns Heads in Lakers Summer League Debut
Former Duke Star Turns Heads in Lakers Summer League Debut originally appeared on Athlon Sports. DJ Steward has been working hard to earn his shot at the NBA, and may have taken a big step forward on Saturday. Advertisement The former Duke star and G League standout debuted with the Los Angeles Lakers in the California Classic, leading the way in the 89-87 loss to the Golden State Warriors. Steward scored 20 points on 7-for-10 shooting, saying after the game that he wanted to seize the opportunity to show what he can do. 'This is a good opportunity to be myself," Steward said. "There's a lot of things [the coaching staff] wants me to hone in on, controlling the controllables, picking up 94 feet, communicating, and getting guys involved.' Steward has played the last four seasons in the G League and last year averaged 19.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.0 steals per game. He averaged 49.9% shooting from the field including 34.4% from behind the 3-point arc. The 23-year-old guard came onto the NBA radar after he spent the 2020-21 season at Duke, averaging 13.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. Advertisement He earned a summer league contract with the Lakers, getting the chance to show NBA teams that he can play at the top level. Steward sent a message to his Lakers teammates after Saturday's loss, saying the team needs to rebound and show up better for their next contest. 'We got to get the guys together to go out there and play harder than we did today," Steward said. "We have to make sure we're picking up 94 feet and being more physical.' Related: Dalton Knecht Named in Lakers Trade Report on Saturday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lakers Turn Heads With Surprise Bronny James Decision on Saturday
Lakers Turn Heads With Surprise Bronny James Decision on Saturday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Los Angeles Lakers got their summer league action started in the California Classic on Saturday, but second-year guard Bronny James is still waiting to hit the floor. Advertisement The Lakers opted not to dress James, the son of Lakers star LeBron James, in the game against the Golden State Warriors. The Lakers went on to lose 89-84, and after the game some fans expressed surprise that James was not given the chance to play. As Caleb Hightower of The Sporting News noted, the Lakers had not given any advanced notice that James would not be in the lineup. "Entering the day, there was no indication that Los Angeles would sideline James to begin Summer League action," Hightower wrote. Many expected James to play in the team's summer slate as he fights for a spot on the roster next season. The former USC guard, who split last season between the Lakers and the team's G League affiliate, said he has been working hard to get in good shape this summer. Advertisement "I'm just running a lot," James said. "Getting a lot of conditioning in ... it's just Year 2, so I've got to lock in on the things that I didn't know before my rookie year and excel with that." With James watching Saturday's game in street clothes, former G Leaguer DJ Steward had the chance to shine, scoring 20 points on 7-for-10 shooting. Related: Bronny James Breaks Social Media Silence After NBA Summer League This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
23-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Recap: OKC Blue mount comeback in thrilling 126-123 OT win over Memphis Hustle
Recap: OKC Blue mount comeback in thrilling 126-123 OT win over Memphis Hustle The G League's OKC Blue mounted a 19-point comeback in a 126-123 overtime win over the Memphis Hustle on Sunday. The shocking victory improved OKC's record to 17-14 on the season. Early on, it looked like the Blue would be run out of the gym. The Hustle held a 41-24 lead after the first quarter. Memphis' offense was too much for OKC early on as it quickly built a double-digit advantage. The Blue snapped out of it in the second quarter and scored 33 points to shave off some of their deficit. After a chaotic start, they entered halftime in a manageable 65-57 hole against the Hustle. The deficit stayed around double-digit points for most of the third quarter. Memphis scored 31 points in the frame and exited with a 96-81 lead. With a quarter left, the Blue started down the barrel of a loss. DJ Steward's finger-roll layup made it a 108-93 game with a little over eight minutes to go. With most hope gone, the Blue quickly went on a 12-0 run over the next three minutes to make it a three-point deficit. The Blue finally took their first lead in forever when Jahmi'us Ramsey splashed in a triple. They suddenly held a 113-111 advantage with a little over two minutes left. Tied at 115 points apiece, GG Jackson gave Memphis the lead after a stepback 3-pointer with a mere second left. Cormac Ryan received the inbound pass and swished in a turnaround corner 3-pointer at the buzzer. The outside bucket stunned both sides as the Blue and Hustle went into overtime tied at 118 points apiece. In a race to seven points, Javonte Cooke scored the game-winner when he scored a difficult turnaround floater. Just like that, the Blue completed the dramatic comeback. The Blue shot 43% from the field and went 13-of-49 (26.5%) from 3. They shot 13-of-17 on free throws. They had 22 assists on 47 baskets. Seven Blue players scored double-digit points. Meanwhile, the Hustle shot 48% from the field and went 20-of-47 (42.6%) from 3. They shot 10-of-13 on free throws. They had 26 assists on 44 baskets. Six Hustle players scored double-digit points. Here are some notable individual performances from both sides: Jahmi'us Ramsey: 25 points on 9-of-17 shooting, 3-of-7 from 3, five rebounds, four assists, three steals Cormac Ryan: 22 points on 7-of-16 shooting, 6-of-14 from 3, eight rebounds, two assists Logan Johnson: 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting, nine rebounds, seven assists Malevy Leons: 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting, 1-of-6 from 3, 14 rebounds, four assists, three steals GG Jackson: 26 points on 8-of-15 shooting, 4-of-9 from 3, 5-of-6 on free throws, eight rebounds, five assists DJ Steward: 24 points on 10-of-19 shooting, 4-of-9 from 3, three rebounds Malachi Smith: 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting, 4-of-6 from 3, five rebounds, three assists Yuki Kawamura: 12 point son 5-of-8 shooting, 2-of-5 from 3, five assists Here are the full highlights from the Blue's three-point overtime win over the Memphis Grizzlies' G League affiliate:
