Bronny James made his NBA preseason debut on Friday night, but his father, LeBron James, wasn’t on the court with him when the Lakers faced Minnesota in the first of two weekend games in the Coachella Valley.
Lakers coach JJ Redick rested LeBron after three intense days of training camp. However, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer is expected to play against Phoenix on Sunday, which also happens to be Bronny’s 20th birthday.
In the Lakers’ 124-107 loss to the Timberwolves, Bronny scored two points, missing his first five shots before sinking a layup with 56.9 seconds left. The 6-foot-2 guard also had three blocks, one rebound, and one assist in 16 minutes, playing during the second and fourth quarters.
Coach Redick praised Bronny’s performance, noting his positive attitude and coachability. Bronny didn’t speak to the media after the game, but he knows he has much to improve before potentially sharing the court with his father as the first father-son duo in NBA history.
Bronny entered the game early in the second quarter, alongside Lakers starter D’Angelo Russell.
Although he struggled on his first defensive play, allowing an open 3-pointer, Bronny quickly recovered with a block on a layup attempt. Despite missing his initial shots, he assisted Rui Hachimura on a fast-break 3-pointer.
In the fourth quarter, Bronny missed a jumper and had a layup blocked but finally scored in the final minute with a layup over a defender, assisted by rookie Dalton Knecht.
Redick mentioned that Bronny earned his preseason minutes after strong showings in practice.
While LeBron gave Bronny space to focus, he did offer advice during a second-quarter timeout. Bronny, the Lakers’ second-round draft pick, had already played in the summer league and is expected to spend most of the regular season with the G League’s South Bay Lakers.
Ahead of the game, Bronny expressed both excitement and nerves, eager to learn from veteran players and showcase his abilities when given the chance.
LeBron and Anthony Davis, who were inactive for the game, remained on the sidelines during timeouts after participating in training camp. Redick explained that the decision to rest them was based on their heavy summer workload and intense camp participation.
Both LeBron and Davis are expected to play in at least one of the weekend’s games. The Coachella Valley crowd didn’t seem disappointed by LeBron’s absence, with fans filling the arena to see the Lakers in action.
Redick commented on the Lakers’ widespread fan base, noting the excitement of playing in front of the desert crowd.
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