All eyes turned to the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, October 3 to watch Bronny James make his preseason debut in purple and yellow, yet it was his dad who stole the headlines once again thanks to his strange reaction to his kid’s first basket.
The Lakers lost the contest against the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-107 at the Acrisure Arena as the teenager delivered a mixed, but solid, performance overall as he struggled for offensive output but generally kept up with the pace of the game.
He shot his first basket in “garbage time”, which means the game was already a foregone conclusion even if the clock had not yet expired, by way of a left-handed layup to get his first points on the board after five previous missed attempts.
LeBron aims for perfection as Bronny mimics him
And the reaction of LeBron James was quickly caught onto by fans, who remained expressionless despite watching his child’s first points as a professional player happen right in front of him.
It could be a message to the 19-year-old that his own performance wasn’t to the standards the NBA icon expects of his teammates, or he simply may have been furious that his side lost by 17 points as he looks to collect a fifth NBA Finals ring in 2024/25.
Lakers coach happy with Bronny
Nonetheless, whilst he struggled for points, Bronny stood out defensively by recording three blocks showing he is definitely a team player who won’t be flunking on his commitments when on the back foot.
So ultimately, the new Lakers coach, JJ Redick, was happy with how Bronny performed in his first NBA preseason contest and sees talent within the youngster as he continues to develop his game.
“We’re really happy with his progress,” Redick said. “The kid, you know, he can do some things defensively at his size that are really unique and can, I think, turn him into a really disruptive defender and that kind of manifested.”
