Bronny James has had quite the week. After getting drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers (his dad, LeBron James' team) 55th overall, he now is reportedly getting a guaranteed, multiyear rookie deal.
With NBA Summer League fast approaching, Bronny spoke to NBA TV about what his goals are during the annual Las Vegas event:
Said the newest member of the Lakers, “Just showcasing what I've been putting in the work for this whole summer. It's a lot that I've been doing, getting up early mornings. But yeah, just going out, being aggressive, being myself, and showcasing what i was doing before my incident [cardiac arrest]. You know, proving myself to the doubters.”
That's a good approach to have, because there are certainly people doubting Bronny and the Lakers' decision to draft him.
Lakers legend Shaquille O'Neal recently came to Bronny's defense against claims of nepotism.
“I would like the scrutiny to get off of Bronny James, my nephew. He’s a kid, great kid. All he wants to do is play,” O'Neal said. “It’s unfortunate that kids like ours have to live up to what we have done. I tell my kids all the time, pressure is when you don’t know where your next meal is coming from. You don’t have to be me. I want you to be better than me. I’m not talking about as a player but as a person.”
There were also a few question marks regarding of whether another team was going to target Bronny in the draft, but after Rich Paul told teams not to draft him, it became clear that Los Angeles was going to make the James father-and-son duo's dreams a reality.
How much will Bronny James play with the Lakers
Over the last several NBA seasons, the Lakers have spent a lot of time working toward developing their recent draft picks. Los Angeles has done this not only to try and fully unlock the potential of their draftees, but also because this is an organization that also has high championship aspirations – despite only making it past the first round of the playoffs once in the last four seasons.
Max Christie, who was drafted 35th overall in 2022, has spent a vast majority of his career in the G League with the South Bay Lakers. He recently earned a four-year, $32 million contract due to his development. Jalen Hood-Schifino and Maxwell Lewis, two players selected by Los Angeles in the 2023 NBA Draft, both spent significant time in the G League last season.
Bronny is going to be following a very similar route once the 2024-25 season begins. While it is possible that he will be on the court in a Lakers uniform at the same time as his father – a moment the NBA world is dreaming about – Bronny is set to spend a lot of time working on his craft in the G League.
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