The Los Angeles Lakers have decided that Bronny James will only play part-time for their G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, participating exclusively in home games.
This arrangement, reported by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, spares Bronny from travel for road games, as discussed on the Hoop Collective podcast.
“He’s only going to play in South Bay’s home games,” Windhorst shared. “It’s a kind of part-time role, and he won’t be flying to away games. While this may seem like special treatment or nepotism, it’s not unusual.
However, I think it may actually hinder his development,” he added. Windhorst noted that this decision, though approved by the Lakers, might not ultimately benefit Bronny, the South Bay Lakers, or even LeBron James at this point.
Bronny, the 20-year-old son of Lakers superstar LeBron James, made his G League debut recently against the Salt Lake City Stars, logging 31 minutes with six points, three rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a block. He shot 2-for-9 from the field and went 0-for-4 from beyond the arc.
LeBron was present courtside alongside his wife, Savannah, daughter Zuri, and Bronny’s grandmother, Gloria James. Lakers teammates Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell, as well as general manager Rob Pelinka, were also in attendance.
Earlier this season, Bronny made history by becoming part of the NBA’s first father-son duo to appear in a game together, recently scoring his first career NBA points. Over six NBA games, he’s currently averaging 0.7 points per game.