Bronny James started in his first summer league game, but that was the lone bright spot.
The son of NBA all-time leading scorer LeBron James sparked heated debate after being selected 55th overall by his father’s Los Angeles Lakers in last week’s NBA draft.
On one hand, this is historic: LeBron and Bronny are the first father-son duo to play in the NBA.
But rumors of nepotism have been circulating since the team hired JJ Redick, James’ podcast co-host, as head coach.
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Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James Jr. (9) reacts after being called for a foul during the second quarter of the game against the Sacramento Kings at Chase Center. (Kelly L. Cox/USA Today Sports)
Bronny made his Summer League debut and got his first chance to prove himself on the court for the Lakers on Saturday against the Sacramento Kings in San Francisco.
James finished with just four points on 2-of-9 shooting, but he also had two rebounds and two assists and was minus-16 on the court as the Kings cruised to a 108-94 victory.
During his first press conference with the Lakers, Bronny said he averaged less than five points per game during his lone season at USC and “didn’t have a lot of opportunities” to “show what I’m really made of.”
Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James Jr. scores during the second quarter of the game against the Sacramento Kings at Chase Center. (Kelly L. Cox/USA Today Sports)
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Bronny suffered a sudden cardiac arrest during summer warm-ups, causing him to miss the start of the season, and he said the time he missed over the summer prevented him from “playing perfectly.” [his] His decision to “play more” has haunted him all season.
James had three years of NCAA eligibility remaining, but the chance to pursue an NBA dream alongside his father was a tough one to turn down.
LeBron had previously said he would spend his final NBA season with his son, leading some to speculate in recent years that he might play with his son for a year before retiring. But before the draft, their agent, Rich Paul, said the two were not signed together.
However, Bronny has received training invitations from at least 10 teams. Only two were accepted from the Lakers and the Phoenix Suns. But Paul says it was all “according to plan.”
Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James Jr. plays during the second quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Chase Center. (Kelly L. Cox/USA Today Sports)
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Scouts haven’t been very kind to Bronny, with one scout calling him “not an NBA prospect,” and while it’s still early, Bronny will undoubtedly want to shoot better than 22.2% from the field.
Bronny and the Lakers are in action again on Sunday against the Golden State Warriors, and he heads to Las Vegas next week, where his father is preparing for the Olympics with the U.S. team.
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