Los Angeles Lakers fans got their first glimpse of Bronny James in Friday night’s preseason matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves, while his dad, LeBron James, did not play.
Bronny, who turns 20 on Sunday, checked into the game in the second quarter and pulled off a chasedown block on Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker less than a minute later. Bronny struggled on offense in his first six minutes played, missing his first three shots and committing a turnover. He later logged an assist when he found Rui Hachimura for a 3-pointer on a fast break.
Bronny finished with two points, three blocks, one assist and one rebound in 16 minutes played.
Bronny James doing it on both ends 💪
The block leads to the assist to Rui for 3!
📺 MIN-LAL #NBAPreseason on NBA TV pic.twitter.com/GMnSYWm2b3
— NBA (@NBA) October 5, 2024
Bronny James strong drive to the cup for his first #NBAPreseason points!
📺 MIN-LAL on NBA TV pic.twitter.com/WtZcuzR7f8
— NBA (@NBA) October 5, 2024
Those hoping to see Bronny and LeBron share the court for the Lakers as the first father-son duo in NBA history will have to wait at least one more game.
Lakers coach JJ Redick opted to hold LeBron out of the game at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif., which the Timberwolves won 124-107. LeBron mostly kept his distance from Bronny during the game and hung back from the Lakers’ huddles, which is typical for inactive players.
Earlier in the day, Bronny admitted to being nervous and excited entering his first NBA action.
“Of course, there are nerves,” Bronny said at Friday’s shootaround. “(It) comes with everything. But I’m just excited to go out there and learn and learn from the people playing in front of me. And if I get a chance to showcase my game, then I’m going to do that to the best of my ability.”
Bronny James speaking to the media at shootaround pic.twitter.com/BQWnqkZ9E8
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As for whether the dynamic with his father has changed, Bronny said that the two are having deeper conversations and breakdowns of the game as teammates.
“It’s going to be more in-depth talk about the game and stuff like that,” Bronny said. “So, yeah, I’m ready for it.”
Bronny earned praise from coaches and teammates for his approach in camp and performance in scrimmages — particularly for a couple of plays he’s made against his dad.
During a scrimmage in the weeks leading into camp, Bronny was switched onto LeBron and forced his dad baseline, nearly blocking his reverse layup attempt. LeBron made the basket, but Bronny claims his father stepped out of bounds before the bucket.
Then, in a scrimmage during the first day of training camp, Bronny drew a switch from his dad and drained a 3-pointer over him, leading his teammates to roast LeBron. For Bronny, those interactions are special in both bonding with his dad and showing he’s on the path to finding his way in the NBA.
“I’d say for me, just building confidence, playing at this next level,” Bronny said of his plays against LeBron. “Going out there and getting my reps in. Hitting those shots means a lot but it’s just getting buckets. It’s not really any difference. Just playing with my dad is just a special experience and I’m really grateful for it.”
Required reading
(Photo: Jonathan Hui / Imagn Images)
