Bronny James makes Lakers debut, gets LeBron’s tick of approval

LeBron’s James son Bronny has played his first game for the Lakers as the father-son duo prepare to make basketball history.

Bronny James has played his first game for the Lakers.

Bronny James made his dad proud on Saturday afternoon.

The son of LeBron James suited up in his first NBA Summer League action in the California Classic for the Lakers and collected his first basket as a professional in the second quarter.

Taking on the Kings’ summer squad, Bronny grabbed the ball at the top of the key from big man Colin Castleton before driving to the hoop, completing a layup with a strong finish off the glass before Los Angeles fell to Sacramento, 108-94.

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LeBron, at Team USA workouts in Las Vegas in preparation for the Olympics later this month, was seen watching the game on a phone, soaking in the moment.

“C’mon man, that’s tough, that’s tough — get loose!” the older James said while wearing a USA Basketball shirt.

The 19-year-old out of USC finished the game with four points on 2 of 9 shooting from the field.

His second made shot was an impressive fadeaway jumpshot, as Lakers fans got their first glimpse of Bronny and their top draft pick Dalton Knecht.

He added two rebounds, two assists and a steal.

We’ve seen that posture before... (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

“The atmosphere, it was more than I expected,” Bronny said after the game.

“It’s a big game for me, but I didn’t know the people of Golden State would come and rep for me, so that was pretty nice to see.”

"C'mon man that's tough"

LeBron watching Bronny's first points🙌 https://t.co/GZSVMh8sg6pic.twitter.com/pQvRGD2nyo

— NBA (@NBA) July 6, 2024

It’s been a whirlwind month for Bronny, who was taken No. 55 overall by the Lakers in the 2024 NBA Draft.

That came after a report on the second day of the draft that his and his dad’s agent, Rich Paul, said Bronny would bolt to Australia if certain teams selected him.

Bronny James scored four points in his first Lakers game. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Bronny will make NBA history with his dad in a few months. Photo: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images/AFP.

But Bronny ended up in Los Angeles, signing a reported four-year deal worth $7.9 million on Wednesday.

And on the same day, despite opting out of his previous Lakers deal, LeBron agreed to return on a $104 million extension, per ESPN.

Bronny, taking stock of his first summer league game, said he’s ready to make improvements.

“Looking at my mistakes and looking at the things I did right is really good for me,” he told reporters. “But also just game by game growing that comfort in my playing my game, I feel like that’s a big part of why I come out here and get those reps in.”

This article originally appeared in the NY Post and was reproduced with permission.

Originally published as Bronny James makes Lakers debut, gets LeBron’s tick of approval