Bronny made his Los Angeles Lakers debut on opening night on Wednesday, October 23.
LeBron and Bronny James
Skip Bayless claims LeBron James will block his son being sent down to the G League by the Los Angeles Lakers after making his NBA debut on opening night against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The 20-year-old played three minutes in the Lakers’ opening game of the season and scored one rebound as he and his dad became the first father/son duo in NBA history on Wednesday, October 23.
But now the youngster could be sent to the development leagues to continue to improve after appearing to be unable to keep up with the pace of the NBA as things stand, although J.J. Redick still sees potential in him.
Yet Bayless, known for his bold statements, feels as though that demotion won’t actually happen and feels Bronny‘s 40-year-old dad will actually block the Lakers from doing that, although he doesn’t say how.
“Lakers say Bronny will accompany LeBron on the upcoming 5-game road trip, then go back and forth to the G League when the Lakers return,” Bayless posted to X.com, formerly Ttwitter. “I’ll believe it when I see it.
“Hard to believe LeBron wants his namesake on the South Bay Lakers. But for now it sounds good.”
LeBron doesn’t care if Bronny’s in the G League
Bronny came into the NBA ranked as a consensus four-star recruit praised for his defensive efforts and work rate through his limited college career, although much was left to be desired on the attacking front.
Selected as the 55th overall pick of the 2024 draft, the 6ft 2in point guard/shooting guard also appeared in the Summer League and played in a 108-94 loss to the Sacramento Kings where he posted four points, two assists, two rebounds and one steal.
He also played throughout the Lakers‘ NBA preseason campaign where he showed he can defend at pro level, but again seemed to be left wanting for more in terms of his offensive output.
So in light of that, and despite Bayless’ comments, LeBron doesn’t actually think it’s a bad idea for him to head to the G League if it means he becomes a better basketball player at the end of it.
“Seeing him continue to grow as a basketball player,” LeBron said of his goals for his son. “No matter if it’s here with us or if it’s down with the G League team.”
