Bronny James’ first NBA season continues to play out otherwise than that of the everyday rookie.
The 20-year-old son of LeBron James is anticipated to play in solely dwelling video games for the G League affiliate of the Los Angeles Lakers, as NBA insider Brian Windhorst referenced on Wednesday’s episode of his ESPN podcast.
And Windhorst, previously an Ohio newspaper reporter who started protecting the elder James as a excessive schooler greater than 20 years in the past, disagrees with that call.
“I’m gonna apply the brakes on my ‘everything’s fine on the Bronny front’ with this thing that’s now happening, which is that, from my understanding, he’s only gonna play in the South Bay Lakers home games,” Windhorst stated on “The Hoop Collective.”
“That he’s only gonna kind of be a part-time G League player, and he’s not getting on United Airlines and going to fly and … play in these road games.”
ESPN’s Shams Charania had additionally reported on the Lakers’ plan final week, writing when Bronny was assigned to the G League that he was anticipated to play in solely dwelling video games as he went forwards and backwards between the Lakers and South Bay.
The South Bay Lakers are based mostly in close by El Segundo, Calif.
Windhorst contended that the plan just isn’t useful for Bronny, opining it could be “much better” for the younger guard’s improvement if he have been to play in highway video games.
“I know he was getting somewhat special treatment and nepotism. That’s fine,” Windhorst stated. “Honestly, I don’t care. … It’s normal. Now, I think it’s actually detrimental to him.”
Bronny, the eldest of James’ three youngsters, was projected by some to be a first-round decide within the 2024 NBA Draft earlier than his freshman season at USC.
He suffered cardiac arrest at a USC observe in July of 2023, which required a process for a congenital coronary heart defect and delayed his faculty debut by a bit of over a month. Bronny averaged 4.8 factors, 2.8 rebounds and a couple of.1 assists per recreation in 25 video games, together with six begins, at USC.
The Lakers then drafted Bronny within the second spherical, with the fifty fifth total decide, in June’s draft.
Bronny made his NBA debut within the Lakers’ season opener on Oct. 22, checking in alongside his 39-year-old father within the second quarter of that 110-103 dwelling win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. That marked the primary time in NBA historical past {that a} father and son performed collectively.
Bronny totaled 4 factors with a rebound and two assists in 16 minutes over his six NBA appearances. He scored six factors with 4 assists and three rebounds in his G League debut on Saturday.
