It’s that time of the year! The NBA is back, and so are two names that need no introduction: LeBron James and LeBron James Jr. (AKA Bronny James). The two have already made history as the first father-son duo to share the court in an NBA game earlier in the preseason, but no one knows what’s in store for the regular season.
LeBron is entering his 22nd year in the league, joining Vince Carter as the only two players in NBA history to play in 22 seasons.
Meanwhile, Bronny James is probably the most talked about second-round draft pick in NBA history, at least before ever playing a game in the regular season. Bronny James will have to determine who he is as a basketball player in the NBA, outside the shadow of his father. After showcasing his talent in the Summer League and NBA Preseason, there’s more reps of Bronny James to evaluate what he could become in the league.
While the numbers don’t pop off the screen, they did improve as the preseason went on, similar to how his production improved throughout Summer League. Bronny James scored eight points in total during his first five preseason games on 20% shooting and 0-7 3PT. In the sixth and final preseason game at Golden State, Bronny James dropped 17 points on 7-17 FG in 35 minutes of action.
On the offensive side of the ball, Bronny James is still a work in progress as he’s trying to figure out where he fits on the court and how he can be effective. Bronny James has played a combo guard role with the Lakers, and has struggled to create his own shot when going one-on-one against a defender. Listed at 6’2’’, he will have to get more crafty and deepen his bag if he wants to become a reliable scorer in the league one day.
Playing defense is how Bronny James will make his case to get some minutes under first-year head coach JJ Redick. He has a wingspan of 6’7’’ and has the athletic ability to guard anyone on the perimeter. If he can be an annoying presence who blows up offensive schemes, watch out because he may become a Jrue Holiday or Derrick White-esque player, both of whom he models his game after.
It is yet to be determined whether these two will play together when games matter. LeBron is definitely going to play under Redick. That’s a no-brainer. But Bronny James may spend some time in the G-League this year before getting to play with the big boys in the NBA.
But to live in fantasyland for a little, imagine a land where LeBron and Bronny James share the floor together in the regular season. The power of this duo is unfathomable. Nobody truly knows what magnitude and aura that would carry. The first lob the two connect on could be a generation-connecting lob that forever remains in the memory of Laker Nation.
The good news for us fans is that we don’t have to wait long to see where this story will go, as the Lakers will host the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight during the inaugural day of the NBA season. LeBron James comes into this year fresh off a terrific performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and winning the MVP of the tournament.
Bronny James may not be in the regular rotation just yet. JJ Redick said in an interview earlier this month he envisions a nine-man rotation: “There’s a lot of guys that are gonna compete for spots, I’ve always envisioned a nine-man rotation in the regular season, so there’s definitely some competition [to fill those spots].” Players that are more likely to be in Redick’s rotation include Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt (when healthy), Jaxson Hayes, Cam Reddish, Max Christie, Jalen Hood-Schifino, and Dalton Knecht.
