Bronny James, the son of NBA superstar LeBron James, made his first appearance in an NBA preseason game on Friday night. Lebron, however, did not take the court with his son, after Lakers coach J.J. Redick decided to rest the NBA’s all-time top scorer following three intense days at training camp. Bronny played for the Lakers against the Minnesota Timberwolves, finishing the game with two points, three blocks, one rebound and one assist.
Despite missing his first five shots, Bronny’s performance showed promise. He took his first chance to play in a Lakers uniform during the second quarter of the game. He had a mixed start, getting caught on a pick on his first defensive possession and having one of his passes intercepted by his opponent. However, he quickly made up for it by blocking an attempted layup.
Bronny’s initial struggles continued as he missed all three of his shots during the first six minutes on the court, including a missed 3-pointer. However, he managed to assist teammate Rui Hachimura in scoring a 3-pointer from the corner on a fast break. In the fourth quarter, Bronny finally scored his first points with a layup, passed to him by fellow rookie Dalton Knecht.
During the game, father LeBron seemed to keep a mindful distance from his son, allowing the youngster to focus on his on-court responsibilities. However, during a mid-game timeout, Lebron took a moment to impart wisdom on his son, guiding him with pointed hand gestures. After the game, Bronny admitted to feeling nervous but was excited to learn from the experience.
Selected as a second-round draft pick, Bronny has already had some game time during the NBA summer league in Las Vegas. Although his role in the regular season is expected to be with the G League’s South Bay Lakers team, he has stated he will grab any opportunities he gets to show what he is capable of.
Despite LeBron and fellow superstar Anthony Davis sitting out the preseason opener, fans were not deterred from the game. The 22-month-old American Hockey League stadium, home to the Coachella Valley Firebirds, was filled with hundreds of Lakers fans. Coach Redick expressed appreciation for the vast global fan base of the Lakers, identifying this as one of the team’s major strengths.
