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While his immediate future remains uncertain, LeBron James' main focus on the 2025 offseason has been on his duties as a father. With his son, Bronny James, leading the Los Angeles Lakers' 2025 NBA Summer League team, the 40-year-old took his entire family to Las Vegas to support the young guard.
Having one's family in the crowd can be distracting, but Bronny James only sees it as a blessing. The 20-year-old admitted that having them sitting courtside at the Thomas & Mack Center on Monday night fueled his big performance against the Los Angeles Clippers.
“It definitely gave me a little boost, seeing them cheer for me and my teammates,” James said, via the Los Angeles Times. “It's great to get in the gym with them.”
In his sixth Summer League game — three at the California Classic and three in Las Vegas — James had arguably the best performance of his professional career outside of the G-League. The second-year guard led the Lakers with 17 points on 6-for-10 from the floor, while adding five rebounds and five assists.
James' big night came just days after assistant coach Lindsey Harding said the Lakers want to see him be more assertive with the ball in his hands. He delivered by out-performing teammates Dalton Knecht and Cole Swider, who have been the team's leading scorers throughout the Summer League.
Despite James' impressive showing, the Lakers still lost, dropping to 1-2 in the Las Vegas 2k26 Summer League. Both teams struggled offensively all game, with the Clippers edging out a 67-58 victory.
Bronny James showing improvements in Lakers' Summer League
While the Lakers continue to get wrapped up in LeBron James drama, they are watching Bronny James slowly develop before their eyes. Though not the same type of scorer as his father, Bronny James is continuing to improve as a defender and playmaker.
The younger James is significantly smaller than his father, but his frame is elite for a point guard. Bronny James' physicality allows him to defend at a high level while competing with bigger defenders offensively. James has slowly figured out how to use his size when attacking the basket in a way that resembles his father.
Nobody expects the USC product to succeed his father, but James is proving that he can become a quality role player in the NBA. James has two years left on his rookie contract, with a team option for the 2027-2028 season.
