Bronny James is trying to treat it like just another night. His father cannot.
The Lakers won 137-130 on Wednesday, and Bronny played meaningful minutes alongside LeBron for another chapter in one of the NBA’s most unique stories. For Bronny, now in his second season, the novelty of sharing a floor with his father has faded as he focuses on proving himself as a legitimate NBA player.
“The first couple times were special, of course, but it’s my second year now,” Bronny said. “I’m just trying to prove myself.”
For LeBron, it never gets old.
“He belongs. He belongs,” LeBron said. “I couldn’t dream of a better feeling than that. I could not.”
The Lakers needed energy on Wednesday with Marcus Smart sidelined by an ankle injury and several other players unavailable. Coach JJ Redick turned to Bronny and liked what he saw.
“Felt like this was a game we really needed him,” Redick said. “His athleticism, his defense. We’re seeing his growth as a player.”
Bronny made an impact with a one-handed baseline dunk and a clutch pull-up midrange jumper in the fourth quarter as Indiana made a late push. At no point did his minutes feel manufactured.
LeBron said what stood out most was the look he has noticed in his son’s eyes lately, a look of full confidence he had not seen since before Bronny suffered cardiac arrest during a USC workout in July 2023. Emergency responders saved his life that day, and surgery corrected a congenital heart defect.
“Physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally, he’s back,” LeBron said.
Away from the NBA, Bronny has been sharp on G League assignment, averaging 15.3 points on efficient shooting splits after a slow start earlier in the season.
LeBron said what drives Bronny comes from the family’s roots in Akron, Ohio.
“Our household, we don’t do things half-assed,” LeBron said. “That’s just how we work. Everybody. That’s where we come from.”
Bronny kept it simple when asked how it felt.
“Just go out there and play my game, be confident in myself,” he said. “That’s what I always wanted to do.”
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