Bronny James opened Lakers camp without the biggest voice in his daily orbit, and he sounded comfortable with the change. LeBron James has moved on to Philadelphia in pursuit of a fifth title, leaving his son in Los Angeles as Bronny begins his third NBA season and pushes for a dependable rotation spot.
The father-son pairing spent the previous two seasons together with the Lakers, the first such teammates in NBA history. Now the calendar has already supplied the family reunion: Philadelphia will be at Crypto.com Arena on Dec. 25, putting Bronny and LeBron on opposite benches for Christmas.
Quick facts
- LeBron James, 41, joined the Philadelphia 76ers before his 24th NBA season.
- Bronny James remains with the Lakers, who selected him in the 2024 draft.
- The Lakers and 76ers meet in Los Angeles on Dec. 25.
- Bronny turns 22 next week, with LeBron expected to be away from Los Angeles.
- Los Angeles has added nine new players, including center Walker Kessler.
Bronny said there is no resentment attached to his father’s choice. He said he is happy for LeBron, eager to watch Philadelphia’s season develop and looking forward to sharing the floor with him on Christmas.
There was not a lengthy father-son business conversation before the move. Bronny described both men as reserved when discussing decisions and emotions, adding that each has his own direction now. He said LeBron understands his desire to establish himself and continue developing independently.
That independence will be tested immediately. LeBron had been a constant locker-room and road presence, offering the sort of feedback that comes from two decades of NBA experience. Bronny’s first media day without him felt different, but not unsettling.
“He’s my dad, and I’ve been around him for nearly 22 years,” Bronny said. “This is another experience for me, and I’m interested to see what it feels like once the season starts.”
A younger Lakers group
LeBron’s departure came after a three-year stretch in which the Lakers won only one playoff series. He has said the move to the 76ers is about his chase for another championship, while Los Angeles is pivoting toward a younger roster built around NBA scoring champion Luka Doncic and guard Austin Reaves.
Kessler gives the Lakers a new rim-running, rim-protecting presence, and the roster turnover should create opportunities throughout camp. Bronny sees energy as an early identity for the group, with enough young legs to play hard, speed up games and build chemistry as the season develops.
“We haven’t played yet, so we’ll find out,” Bronny said. “But the group is young, guys are getting close, and that energy can carry over. We have players who can give full effort, raise the pace and give us a chance to make a deep run.”
Bronny enters the season with more evidence than he had a year ago. He received regular minutes late last season when Doncic and Reaves were injured, then played meaningful time beside LeBron during the Lakers’ first-round upset of Houston.
His path to the nightly mix remains clear: handle secondary playmaking duties, pressure opposing guards at the point of attack and bring activity at both ends. He said the Houston series showed him the outline of a role he can keep expanding.
“I felt I handled my job well in that series,” Bronny said. “I need to keep showing up, playing my game, staying relentless on both ends, getting teammates involved and creating disruption defensively.”
