The Los Angeles Lakers are set to begin a different kind of season on Wednesday against the Golden State Warriors, and Bronny James is part of that picture.
With LeBron James now in Philadelphia, the Lakers are moving into their first year without him in almost a decade. That leaves Bronny James trying to build his own lane while the franchise turns the page.
He put that goal plainly when he said, “You guys know me as Bronny. My real name is LeBron.
I've been doing this for however long, so I think it's a motivating factor for me just getting up every day and trying to prove myself as Bronny instead of LeBron,” he said.
James is entering his third season as an NBA guard, and the Lakers would love to see him grow into a steadier piece of the roster. That need was a little more urgent on Monday, when illness kept him out of practice. “Am told that Bronny James is genuinely ill and was home sick from practice,” The Athletic’s Dan Woike wrote.
At that point, his status for the opener was not clear, since the team had not immediately disclosed how severe the illness was. But James was back on Tuesday, and that changed the outlook. “Bronny James is back at practice after being excused from yesterday's session because of an illness,” California Post’s Khobi Price wrote.
There’s still plenty to sort out when it comes to James’ role. It will be worth watching how many minutes he gets and whether he can make a bigger impact this season. The Lakers needed him in the first round of the playoffs last season when their numbers were thin, and both sides are hoping he can keep developing into someone who can earn real minutes.
Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are expected to drive the Lakers, but James’ place in the rotation is one of the early questions hanging over this team. Now that he’s back from illness, Wednesday’s opener should give an early hint at how the Lakers plan to use him.
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