Three days shy of a year after Bronny James made his preseason debut with the Los Angeles Lakers in this desert arena, the NBA‘s most famous son resumed his quest to show he belongs in the big leagues.
While his 1-for-12 shooting performance in the Lakers’ opener wasn’t ideal, James felt his effort Friday night was another step forward in a process that’s already showing results for coach JJ Redick.
He scored eight points while LeBron James and Luka Dončić sat out of the Lakers’ 103-81 loss to the Phoenix Suns.
Bronny’s 40-year-old father is progressing deliberately in his return from a minor nerve injury to begin his record 23rd NBA season, while Dončić is also ramping up with caution after his busy summer playing for Slovenia at EuroBasket.
That left plenty of playing time in the Coachella Valley for depth players like Bronny, who hit a 3-pointer late in the third quarter for his only field goal. He missed his other seven 3-point attempts while struggling for buckets alongside fellow 2024 draft pick Dalton Knecht, who was 2-for-10 with 1-for-7 shooting from distance.
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“I felt like they were pretty good shots,” said Bronny, who turns 21 years old on Monday. “Not rushed, not forcing anything. [I] didn’t have my legs under me as much as I wanted to, so a lot of them were short, but most of them were on line. I felt like I could have made those. I felt like I took some good shots.”
Bronny’s confidence was undiminished by those misses after the Lakers opened their preseason in the same arena where Bronny first played alongside his famous father in October 2024.
The Palm Springs-area fans who rumbled with anticipation whenever Bronny touched the ball a year ago didn’t react much this time around. The novelty of Bronny’s presence has faded while he continues to grow into something much more than a sideshow.
Bronny was in the Lakers’ first substitution group, and he played nearly 23 minutes. He gave a consistent defensive effort with intermittent effectiveness as he works to become the impact defender that Redick believes he can become with more growth.
“Definitely felt like I was more comfortable, especially with the ball in my hands, and with the defensive and offensive schemes,” Bronny said. “But I’m just trying to feel it out. Feeling my way still and just continuing to grow.”
Bronny appeared in 27 games for the Lakers during his rookie season, even making basketball history by playing alongside his father in the opener. But he accomplished much of his growth in the G League, where he averaged 21.9 points and 5.5 assists for the Lakers’ affiliate.
After a summer of hard work, Bronny is demonstrating progress to Redick.
“He is so much more comfortable and confident as a player,” Redick said of Bronny. “Skill-wise, read-wise, all of those things have improved, but there’s a big difference between improving those things in individual workouts and small group settings, and doing it 5-on-5. … He’s a totally different player than he was a year ago. I thought the stuff that he did down in the G League last year was huge for him in developing a comfort level in playing at this level.”
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Austin Reaves scored 20 points to lead the Lakers’ starters, which included newcomers Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia with Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt.
Bronny wasn’t the only Lakers player trying to stand out on defense. Ayton had eight rebounds and just one point while taking only two shots in 18 minutes, but he also blocked two shots while demonstrating his commitment to protecting the rim.
The Lakers’ preseason continues Sunday against the Golden State Warriors. Redick said Dončić also will sit out that game in San Francisco, as will LeBron.
That means Bronny will have more chances, and he remains determined to seize them.
“I’m just trying to feel it out, trying to get some reps in with the guys,” Bronny said. “There’s probably not going to be as many opportunities during the season, so I’m just coming out and defending hard, playing my game, doing the non-negotiables. So if JJ sees that, maybe he’ll give me an opportunity.”
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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