Bronny James will approach the upcoming 2026-27 NBA season as one of the longest-tenured players on the Los Angeles Lakers, which he finds quite unusual.
As he joins Mason & Ireland of ESPN LA from the Lakers Youth Foundation Golf Tournament, Bronny offered interesting remarks about his leadership out of being one of the team's most established players.
"It's crazy," he said. "I'm like, I got a bigger voice in the gym right now, and it kind of feels weird."
Bronny James assumes leadership role as one of the experienced Lakers players
Along with Dalton Knecht, Bronny James ranks third among the longest-tenured players in the current Los Angeles Lakers player pool.
Austin Reaves leads the shortlist, who entered the franchise as an undrafted prospect back in 2021-22. Jarred Vanderbilt followed, as he notably joined the Lakers during the team's 2022-23 midseason trade.
After their massive offseason filled with changes from the departure of LeBron James, the Lakers are featuring a relatively new team. The likes of Walker Kessler, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Kevon Looney, Ziaire Williams, Matisse Thybulle, Jaden Hardy, and rookie Cameron Carr are the new faces across the group.
Led by Luka Doncic, the Lakers notably conducted a special four-day team-building session in Slovenia to build early chemistry.
With Bronny James emerging as one of the key presences now in LA, the Lakers are poised for a highly anticipated season.