The Los Angeles Lakers recently made history after drafting Bronny James to play alongside his father, LeBron James. During the season opener, the father-son duo debuted together in a matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, the Lakers are making sure Bronny’s basketball journey isn’t just a symbolic moment and have opted for a more developmental path.
On Thursday, the Lakers announced that Bronny had been assigned to their G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers. According to the team, Bronny will debut as a South Bay player on Saturday against the Salt Lake City Stars. Despite the switch up, Bronny will only play in home games, splitting his time between South Bay and the Lakers’ main roster. ESPN reported that the agreement was made after November 6th, following Bronny’s time as an exclusive player on the Lakers’ roster. This strategic “shuttle” allows Bronny to grow as a professional basketball player while continuing to be a part of high-profiled NBA moments.
“The plan for Bronny to move between the Lakers and South Bay has always been the plan since day one,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “LeBron’s talked about that. [General manager] Rob [Pelinka] and I have talked about that.”
For his father, LeBron is highly aware and understands the work that is being required for his son by the NBA. While speaking to ESPN, LeBron stated that Bronny’s job is to get “better and better,” just like the other basketball stars that have made a name for themselves in the NBA.
“Just [looking forward to] seeing him continue to grow as a basketball player, no matter if it’s here with us or if it’s down with the G League team, and him continuing to get better and better and better,” LeBron said. “His job is to put the work in and get better and better, just like the rest of us. And we want to hold him accountable, and he’s going to hold us accountable.”
As Bronny takes the court as a South Bay player on Saturday, fans will get a chance to see the growth in Bronny’s performance. Nonetheless, the Lakers have committed to improving Bronny’s skills, ensuring that the father-son duo has a long-lasting story filled with family, excellence, and growth.
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