When the Los Angeles Lakers selected Bronny James 55th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, the instant reaction was that it was to cater to LeBron James.
LeBron was open about his desire to play with his son, and the Lakers made that dream a reality. Bronny’s rookie season was largely forgettable as he took time getting back into game shape following a health scare at USC. However, Bronny’s shown real improvement and growth during his sophomore season and LeBron believes he’s earned his keep at the NBA level via Dan Woike of The Athletic:
“Especially knowing the path, you know, the road …,” LeBron James told The Athletic. “So, just proud of him. I’m super proud of him. And he belongs. He belongs.”
Bronny suffering cardiac arrest nearly derailed his playing career, but LeBron noted that the second-year guard is back to feeling like himself before the incident:
In one of their most recent conversations about basketball, LeBron said he saw a look in his oldest son’s eyes — one he hadn’t noticed since before the incident. That look, he said, was his son saying “I’m back to where I was,” — confidence in his game, body and mindset all aligning at once.
“Physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally, he’s back,” LeBron said.
The Lakers were good about bringing Bronny along slowly this past offseason, limiting his minutes at Summer League and letting him gradually get his wind and conditioning back. During the 2025-26 season, Bronny’s appeared mostly in blowout situations though he’s also gotten a chance to play meaningful minutes when the team was dealing with injuries.
For example, Bronny made a positive impact in Los Angeles’ recent win against the Indiana Pacers. While his box score numbers doesn’t necessarily jump out, he played with great effort and energy on both ends of the floor which earned him praise from his teammates.
While he might not make much of an impression the rest of this season, the arrow appears to be pointing up for Bronny. It remains to be seen when he’ll be able to crack the rotation, but he certainly looks the part of an NBA player.
Bronny James: Lakers are contenders when healthy
The Lakers have been one of the best teams post-All-Star break and look like legitimate championship contenders given their improvement on both sides of the basketball. While the outside world might remain skeptical on L.A.’s chances, Bronny said the team believes they’re contenders as long as they remain healthy.
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