The first alley-oop from LeBron James to Deandre Ayton came in 2014, when Ayton was an eighth-grader at the LeBron James Camp in Las Vegas. Eleven years later, the pair repeated the connection on NBA hardwood.
Following the Los Angeles Lakers’ 140-121 victory over the Utah Jazz on Nov. 18, 2025 at Crypto.com Arena, Ayton recalled the childhood moment after catching a lob from the 40-year-old star in the second half.
“I told Bron that was my second alley-oop from him,” Ayton said. “The first was at his camp back in eighth grade. It’s crazy it happened again.”
James, making his season debut after missing the first 14 games with sciatica, posted 11 points on 4-for-7 shooting and handed out 12 assists in 30 minutes. Several of those feeds set up Ayton, who has thrived this season alongside playmakers Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
“Some of these passes, I didn’t even know he saw me,” Ayton added. “He’s finding me right away with sharp passes. He’s making life easy.”
Despite being in his 23rd NBA season, James impressed Ayton with his pace. “Running next to him, he runs as fast as me,” the center said. “The dude’s a machine.”
James assesses his first game back
James acknowledged early rust but said his conditioning improved as the game progressed. “Wind was a little shaky to begin,” he noted. “As the game went on, my wind got a lot better. Rhythm is still coming back—first game in almost seven months.”
The Lakers’ 140 points marked a season high, aided by James’ playmaking and Ayton’s interior finishes. With the four-time MVP back in the lineup, Los Angeles eyes additional offensive balance as the schedule continues.
Source: LakersNation.com
