Lakers draft Bronny James to form NBA’s first father-son duo
USA TODAY Sports’ Jeff Zillgitt breaks down the historic move by the Los Angeles Lakers, drafting Bronny James to form the leagues first father-son duo.
Bronny James turned a corner in the Lakers’ fourth NBA Summer League game of the season Friday, giving a glimpse at the future of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The No. 55 overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft finished with a summer league-high eight points in the Lakers’ 99-80 loss to the Houston Rockets Friday in Las Vegas.
REQUIRED READING: Lakers vs. Rockets live updates: Watch Bronny James in summer league game today
With the loss, the Lakers have dropped their fourth consecutive game of the summer after losing all three games at the California Classic Summer League last week.
On top of his eight points — his best scoring output this summer — that came on 3-for-14 shooting, James once again showcased he can impact the game through his defense. Entering the night averaging 3.5 rebounds per game, James added five defensive rebounds and two steals to his stat line. James went 0 for 8 shooting from 3-point range on Friday, some of which fell an inch or two short of going in.
He did have a nice dunk in the first quarter, finishing off a pass from Lakers 2024 first-round pick Dalton Knecht.
When the summer league is all set and done, James will join his father, four-time NBA Finals champion and league MVP LeBron James, as the first father-son duo to play for the same team at the same time in NBA history.
Next up, Bronny James and the Lakers (0-4) will take on the Boston Celtics on Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Here’s a full look at James’ box score from Friday’s summer league contest vs. the Rockets:
