It’s clear that Bronny James really needed this opportunity.
LeBron James has achieved his dream of being the first NBA player to share the court with his son.
Now, it’s Bronny’s moment to chase his own dream.
He aims to earn respect in the NBA, which seems nearly impossible while following in the footsteps of his father—one of the greatest players ever. It must be tough to carve out his own identity in that locker room.
Bronny turned 22 this Tuesday and is entering his third season with the Lakers. Interestingly, he’s now the third longest-tenured player on the team. With LeBron’s recent move to the 76ers, Bronny finally steps out from under his father’s shadow.
In the Lakers’ opening preseason game against the Kings, Bronny tallied three points, five rebounds, two assists, one block, and one turnover over 16 minutes of play.
Those stats aren’t eye-popping, particularly in the preseason when teams are trying out various lineups, and players are shaking off the cobwebs while rookies vie for spots on the roster.
But Bronny doesn’t have to be sensational right now. What he really needs is to focus on the fundamentals—being reliable and consistent. He has to establish himself as an NBA player without the influence of LeBron looming over him.
This is his moment. He’s been working hard to carve his own path and shake off any perceptions of nepotism. He’s been putting in the effort.
After an impressive 17-point, five-rebound, and three-assist game against the Bucks as a rookie in March 2025, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith remarked he “might have been wrong” about Bronny’s readiness for the NBA.
Last season, Bronny earned playoff minutes against the Rockets and Thunder.
This time around, he faces a new challenge—a chance to show that his NBA journey is independent of his father’s legacy. With LeBron out of the locker room, Bronny has the opportunity to stand on his own.
He seems to embrace this change. “I mean, he’s got his own path, and I got my own,” Bronny mentioned during the Lakers media day in response to LeBron’s departure. “So he knows that I want to make a name for myself and continue my career and keep growing as a player. And he knows that I want to focus on that.”
During the Lakers’ training camp, Bronny has been honing his “defensive instinct.” Over the summer, he focused on improving various aspects of his game, particularly his jump shot.
“I’ve been in the gym all summer working on fluidity and the speed of my release, stuff like that, moving,” he shared at practice. “Tied into that, just running a lot. I’m the same weight, 215 or 220-ish, but still slim so I can move fast. Just getting in the gym every day and maintaining a routine.”
The upcoming season should be revealing.
Bronny has a chance to demonstrate his abilities without the shadow of nepotism. It could silence the doubters if he performs well with LeBron on the other side of the country.
From the moment Bronny was selected as the 55th overall pick by the Lakers in the 2024 NBA Draft, expectations have been extraordinarily high. After all, LeBron has been a dominant figure in the league for two decades, receiving a different level of treatment from peers and staff. What’s it like being his son? Imagine being a rookie or a second-year player in that environment.
While Bronny has enjoyed discussing the thrill of playing with his father, his excitement about finally being able to step out from under LeBron’s vast influence is palpable.
“I think for me, just the motivating factor of creating my own path and my own career makes me want to get up every day and work hard,” Bronny reflected.
There’s a lot of support for Bronny.
He overcame a life-threatening cardiac arrest as a freshman at USC, and now he’s out there making plays in the NBA. Sure, he’s the son of a billionaire, but he doesn’t shy away from the attention and pressure of being LeBron James’ child in the NBA. He’s here because of his passion for the game.
He’s earned the respect of his coaches and teammates—he’s relatable and down-to-earth.
However, the loudest critiques often come from those who can’t see beyond familial ties.
Even as he played better than many drafted around him, Bronny was often held to a more stringent standard simply because of his lineage.
Now, that spotlight has shifted to Philadelphia.
Bronny is on his own to build relationships and secure playing time without one of the most influential figures in sports watching his every move.
If he can navigate this, the critics may finally fade into the background.
LeBron is gone.
And Bronny has his first real shot to demonstrate his rightful place in the league.
