The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t have the best start to the 2023–24 NBA season as they lost to the Denver Nuggets on Opening Night.

The Lakers would be down by double digits, make a comeback to get within a couple of plays, and then fall behind again after the Nuggets scored. The game felt like it could have been taken straight from the Western Conference Finals. Los Angeles couldn’t get past the first hurdle all night, and Austin Reaves couldn’t help but give Denver credit.

The good news is that LeBron James didn’t mind that he hurt his foot last season; he still had his usual burst and explosiveness on the court. James made a few great runs to the basket that he had to finish through contact. This is good news for the Lakers, who will need him all season.

As is usual on Opening Night, there were a lot of famous people at the game. Colorado stars Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter got close to the action. A source told Bleacher Report that Sanders and Hunter met James on the court after the game, which seemed like a special moment for the young college athletes: Sanders and Hunter can be seen grinning with joy after dunking on the King, which makes sense since they had just said that they were like LeBron and Dwyane Wade:

After getting off to a fast start in college football, Colorado has slowed down in recent weeks. However, Sanders and Hunter are still two of the biggest stars in their sport right now. James really enjoys football and has been watching Colorado’s games this season. But this time, he was the one putting on the show for the Buffaloes.

Los Angeles learned some good things from the game, even though they lost. Hopefully, they can use those to get their first win on Thursday when they host the Phoenix Suns.

Shaquille O’Neal says that Deion Sanders makes him think of Phil Jackson.

When Deion Sanders led Colorado to a 3-0 start to the season, he was the talk of the sports world for a few weeks. Sanders added some style and respect to the team, and Shaquille O’Neal said that the head coach of the Buffalo Bills reminds him of Phil Jackson.