Bronny James, Los Angeles Lakers
Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Bronny James, Los Angeles Lakers
Bronny James created NBA history the moment he stepped onto an NBA court for his debut game. He became part of the league’s first-ever father-son duo, as both he and LeBron James suited up for the Los Angeles Lakers.
During a recent appearance on “Grant Horvat Golf,” Bronny detailed the emotions he went through heading into his debut game. He also touched on the pressure of sharing the court with his superstar father for the first time.
“It was nuts, it was crazy. A crazy experience to be a part of, but like the nervousness. It was out of the roof,” Bronny said. “I wasn’t shaking, but you know, I was ready to go out and play, but it’s different when your dad’s on the team. You got expectations. The Lakers, franchise has expectations. Yeah for sure, I’m a basketball head, so it was fun to just be out there and step on an NBA floor for the first time. It was crazy.”
Bronny suited up for a total of 23 regular-season games during his rookie season. He averaged 2.3 points per outing, shooting 31.3% from the field and 28.1% from deep. However, those offensive struggles were somewhat negated by the effort and intensity he added to the Lakers’ rotation on the defensive side of the floor.
Lakers’ LeBron Taking Retirement Year-by-Year
During his incredible career, LeBron James has accomplished everything he set out to achieve. He’s a multi-time NBA champion, and multi-time league MVP, a former Rookie of the Year, a 21-time All-Star and a multi-time All-NBA selection.
However, suiting up with Bronny was one accomplishment that he had to wait for. Now that he’s achieved that goal, rumors are swirling over his future in the NBA. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, LeBron is expected to make his retirement decision on a year-by-year basis.
“Based on my conversations, I honestly think they don’t know,” Windhorst said. “As far as I know, he’s honestly going year to year.”
Carmelo Anthony Jokingly Calls For James to Retire
In a recent appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” Anthony jokingly suggested that James should consider retirement after the upcoming season.
“He’s still going, it’s unbelievable, man,” Anthony said. “That’s my brother. We talk about being around, being together, being tied, being connected, being talked about since we were 17, 18 years old. And for me to be entering the Hall of Fame, and for him, hopefully, to get his ass up out of there and come on over this side (smiles). Enough is enough. Give it a break.”
LeBron recently opted into his $52.6 million player option. He will become an unrestricted free agent next summer. However, even in his 40’s, LeBron is still among the most impactful players in the NBA. Therefore, there’s no guarantee he walks away from the NBA ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Nevertheless, LeBron’s time in the league is clearly nearing an end. And now that he’s about to spend another season on the same team as Bronny, it’s unclear what else he’s got left to play for. Of course, a fifth championship could be a new goal, and with Luka Doncic now leading the way in Lakerland, that additional ring could be closer than we think.
Sooner or later, though, LeBron will bow out of the league. Fortunately, that won’t be in the next 12 months, so we can all enjoy his greatness for a bit longer.