Ahead of the 2024-25 NBA season (which starts in 1 month), the story that many fans are interested in is the possibility of Bronny James, son of the legendary LeBron James, playing for the Los Angeles Lakers.
If both are allowed to play, James and his father will make history as the first father and son to share the court in an official NBA game.
However, that is unlikely to happen soon because Bronny James (picked in the 55th round of the 2024 NBA Draft) has yet to prove his ability in the Summer League stage.
There’s no guarantee Bronny will play, especially with the Los Angeles Lakers’ new head coach, JJ Redick, emphasizing pragmatism. However, ESPN veteran Zach Lowe has a bold prediction.
“You won’t have to wait long. You’ll see it in the first game,” Zach Lowe said. “I’m 100 percent sure Bronny will play in the season opener for the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Jameses will have a historic moment together.”
“They’ll probably pass the ball to each other, create for each other, or something like that. But that’s the only ‘guaranteed spot’ Bronny has. In order to continue playing, he’ll have to earn JJ Redick’s trust,” the ESPN writer added.
Picked in the last round of the 2024 NBA Draft, Bronny James averaged only 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 1 NCAA season.
Things have been a little better for Bronny in the Summer League, with the 19-year-old averaging 7 points per game. However, LeBron James’ son’s shooting percentage is still quite low, only reaching 32.7% FG over 6 games.
Experts predict that Bronny James will have to spend a lot of time in the NBA G-League, playing for the South Bay Lakers to improve his skills, train mentally and gradually get used to the competition environment.
If he reaches certain milestones, Bronny can then be promoted to the first team to play for the Los Angeles Lakers with his father, LeBron James.