The Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Perhaps LeBron James didn't get enough hype after all.

From the opening assist to the final dunk, the 18-year-old phenomenon's NBA debut was even more impressive than nearly every starry-eyed expectation.

And though his Cleveland Cavaliers lost 106-92 Wednesday night to the Sacramento Kings in both teams' opener, James showed all the makings of a superstar - and none of the nerves that could cripple a normal teenager under such constant scrutiny and pressure.

Instead, LeBron was a smash hit.

"Running up and down with the NBA players, it's a dream," James said. "I was just fortunate to get some shots, and they fell through. Most of the moves I used in high school, I could use here."

James had 25 points, nine assists, six rebounds and four steals, mesmerizing one of the league's loudest crowds with skills no teenager had ever displayed at this level.

James' point total was by far the most by any recent prep-to-pro rookie, eclipsing the 10 points scored by Jonathan Bender of Indiana in 1999 and Amare Stoudemire of Phoenix last year.

In fact, James' 25 eclipsed the combined totals of Kevin Garnett (eight), Kobe Bryant (no points), Jermaine O'Neal (two), Kwame Brown (two), Eddy Curry (two), Tyson Chandler (one) and Tracy McGrady (none) in their professional debuts.

Cleveland coach Paul Silas graded his lanky point guard's performance as a B-plus.

"I didn't expect him to have this kind of night," Silas said. "But I knew he was capable of it. I just didn't think it was going to happen. I'm glad it did. This is a great start for him."

Just 88 seconds in, James earned his first assist on an alley-oop pass to Ricky Davis for a dunk. James swished his first shot from the right corner, then followed it with an identical shot from the opposite corner.

"He obviously was good tonight. He's got a lot of talent. He gets to the basket, he sees the floor. For the first game, you had to be impressed," Kings coach Rick Adelman said.

Afterward, James suggested he had been saving his best not for preseason games, but for the games that count.

"Coach Silas told me not to start too early," he said. "I like criticism. It makes you strong. For those of you (media) who said I couldn't shoot, thank you. I thank you very much."

The Kings won with a balance that the Cavs couldn't match. Peja Stojakovic had 22 points, Mike Bibby 19 and Vlade Divac 18.

Said Divac: "It was the first I've seen of him, and I was real impressed. He's the real deal."

SuperSonics 109, Clippers 100

SAITAMA, Japan - Rashard Lewis scored 25 points, and Ronald Murray had 24 to lead Seattle past the Clippers 109-100 Thursday in Mike Dunleavy's debut as Los Angeles' coach.

Lewis made two 3-pointers in a third-quarter run that gave the SuperSonics an 83-69 lead heading to the fourth.

Eddie House, a reserve, led the Clippers with 22 points. Corey Maggette and Elton Brand each scored 21, with Brand grabbing 15 rebounds.

Hornets 100, Magic 98

ORLANDO, Fla. - George Lynch scored on a fast-break layup with 36 seconds left as New Orleans beat Orlando.

David Wesley scored 28 points for New Orleans, while Jamaal Magloire had 27 and Baron David added 22 points and eight assists in the win.

Rookie David West scored nine points and drew four fouls in the period's final 3:23.