Bronny James reflects on his whirlwind rookie season with the Lakers, from making history alongside father LeBron to facing relentless criticism.
Bronny James has always lived under the glare of the spotlight. Growing up as the eldest son of LeBron James meant that cameras, comparisons, and expectations followed him long before his first professional dribble.
Bronny James
Bronny James
Position: PG, SG
Age: 20
Height: 191 cm
Weight: 82 kg
Birth place: Akron, United States of America
But when the Los Angeles Lakers used the 55th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft to select him, that spotlight intensified. Suddenly, Bronny wasn’t just LeBron’s son—he was his teammate.
Still, the organization made clear from the beginning that this would be a long-term project. After an uneven freshman season at USC, and following a serious health scare that sidelined him the summer before the draft, expectations were tempered—at least inside the Lakers’ walls.
Outside, however, it was a different story. A rookie season under scrutiny The NBA world was not gentle. Every missed shot, every turnover, every quiet night was magnified by the fact that he was wearing the same jersey as his father.
Critics questioned whether the Lakers had chosen Bronny on merit or out of loyalty to LeBron. The franchise, for its part, denied suggestions of favoritism, publicly backing the young guard while reinforcing that player development takes time.
The undeniable highlight came right away: Opening night. For the first time in NBA history, a father and son took the floor together as teammates. It was more than a trivia note—it was a scene that captured imaginations worldwide.
Reflecting on the moment a year later, Bronny described the emotions in vivid terms:
“It was nuts. It was crazy. It was a crazy experience to be a part of, but like the nervousness. It was out of the roof…
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.”
Now entering his second season, Bronny has spent the offseason working intensively on his on-ball game, hoping to earn meaningful minutes in the Lakers’ rotation.
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