Even though Bronny James just signed a historic four-year, $7.9 million deal with the purple and gold franchise, as he reached a rookie contract on the same day as his father finally agreed to an extension in Los Angeles, insider Adrian Wojnarowski believes fans should temper their expectations surrounding the rising star.
Yes, LeBron and his eldest son as soon to become the first father-son duo in league history to play together next season, but the truth is that the 19-year-old won’t start out as a rotation player for the NBA team. According to the ESPN reporter, James Jr. will spend most of his rookie campaign in the G League.
“Well, what the Lakers’ expectations are is he’ll largely be a G League player like almost any 19-year-old player coming into the league drafted in the second round,” he said on Sportscenter. “What you’ll ultimately probably see is Bronny James in the first week of the season on the court with his father in a very – I don’t want to call it ceremonial, but the eyes of the world will be on that.”
After the first week of the season, there are no expectations that Bronny will be in the Lakers rotation, and instead will play in the G league.
Per @wojespn pic.twitter.com/ZGcJhBbeRo— Degen Sports Club (@DegenSportsClub) July 3, 2024
Wojnarowski then shared that the South Bay Lakers, who are the organization’s G League affiliate, share the same training facility as the NBA team. “They’ll do that the first week of the season, but there’s no expectation Bronny is going to be in the Lakers’ rotation,” he expressed.
After putting a stamp on his new contract, his new coach explained what he expects from the young guard. “We view Bronny as [a] Case Study One because [of] his base level of feel, athleticism, point-of-attack defender, shooting, passing,” JJ Redick said. “There’s a lot to like about his game, and as we build out our player development program holistically, he’s going to have a great opportunity to become an excellent NBA player.”
Also, it was his own coach who was quick to push away the notion that the player is only in this privileged position because of his father. “Rob and I did not give Bronny anything. Bronny has earned this,” said the new Lakers tactician.
“Bronny talks about his hard work. Bronny has earned this through hard work,” Redick assured. “And for us, prioritizing player development, we view Bronny as like, case study one. Because his base level of feel, athleticism, point of attack defender, shooting, passing, there’s a lot to like about his game.”
Bronny told the press that he’s able to handle all the extra pressure that comes with being LeBron’s son and claims of him not deserving this opportunity
Bronny guaranteed that the chance to play professionally with his father played no role in his decision to enter this year’s draft after a lone season in USC. The rising star assured that he can handle all the extra attention and pressure he receives.
“I’m … trying to get my name out for myself,” the rookie said this Tuesday. “I just want to come in and get my work in and get better every day. I never really had a thought of me going to play with my dad. That’s always there to take part of, but it wasn’t a main focus of mine.”
LeBron has already broken so many records in the league, but never did he believe he would create a whole new mark involving his eldest son. Never has a father and son played in the NBA at the same time, as they assure to be ready to deal with the pressure of playing in the same squad together.
“It’s for sure amplified the amount of pressure,” Bronny shared. “I’ve already seen it in (social) media and on the internet and stuff talking about (how) I might not deserve an opportunity. But I’ve been dealing with stuff like this for my whole life. It’s nothing different. It’s more amplified for sure, but I can get through it.”
