Recently, the Los Angeles Lakers fell back to Earth with an ugly road loss at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night. While the Lakers were able to keep things competitive in the first half, the Cavaliers ultimately pulled away later on, winning the game by 30 points.
The blowout nature of the game down the stretch allowed both coaches to empty their benches, which let Bronny James see some minutes against the franchise that his father LeBron helped guide to prosperity earlier in his career.
At one point, James broke loose for a breakaway dunk, and ESPN took the opportunity to post a picture of the play on Instagram, with the caption, “Heir To The Throne,” referencing the elder James' nickname as “The King.”
Needless to say, fans in the comment section were not on board with the statement.
“I’m convinced they turned the ball over on purpose for this dunk,” speculated one fan.
“Guess we gonna overlook the obvious travel violation?!?!” wondered another.
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Still, not everyone was so negative.
“He put together some great minutes last night. Gives you a glimpse of what he can do,” wrote one fan.
Minutes have been few and far between for Bronny James so far this year as he looks to carve out a role for himself in the NBA in the footsteps of his famous father.
Thus far, he is still spending time in the G League in order to hone his skills, and it doesn't seem that he will become a regular part of head coach JJ Redick's rotation anytime soon.
Meanwhile, the Lakers have a lot to sort out between now and the upcoming NBA trade deadline. The team is still in dire need of at least one more capable perimeter defender, and time is ticking between now and February 5, when teams must make their moves.