Joy for Blazers, lamentation for LeBron as NBA season opens

LeBron James scored 26 points on his NBA debut for the LA Lakers who slipped to a 128-119 loss by the Portland Trail Blazers in their season opener.
The four-time MVP’s total, the second highest scored by a Lakers debutant, included 12 rebounds and six assists.
Damian Lillard scored 28 points for Portland and Nik Stauskas matched his career high with 24, on his debut.
This was Portland’s 16th successive win over the 16-time NBA champions, dating back to 2013.
James, who led Cleveland to their first NBA championship in 2016 after returning to the team from the Miami Heat, is playing for a Western Conference franchise for the first time in his career.
The 33-year-old signed a four-year deal with the Lakers in the summer, earning a reported $154m (£118.2m) over the term.