LeBron James' eldest son splits his time between the South Bay Lakers and the NBA franchise
Magic Johnson on what he thought when LeBron & Bronny James played together for the first time | Speak
Magic Johnson shares his thoughts on the historic moment when LeBron and Bronny James checked in to play together for the first time.
Bronny James is NBA great LeBron James' oldest son, which placed a spotlight on the 20-year-old rookie.
In October, Bronny was part of history when he checked into the Los Angeles Lakers season opener and played alongside his father. It marked the first active father-son duo in league history. Shortly after his NBA debut, the Lakers announced the youngest James would split his time between the NBA franchise and their G League affiliate — the South Bay Lakers.
Bronny does not travel with the team for road games, but he was on hand for South Bay's game against Rip City Remix — the Portland Trail Blazers G League affiliate — in El Segundo, California on Jan. 24. James had a game to remember on Friday, finishing South Bay's 122-110 win with a career-best 31 points.
Jan 23, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) during the game against the Boston Celtics at the Crypto.com Arena. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
His strong performance on the offensive end of the basketball court was highlighted by a monster slam dunk. James also made five of his eleven 3-point attempts.
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A screen from center Christian Koloko allowed James to pick up his dribble and throw down the highlight-reel worthy dunk over Rip City’s Sterling Manely. The dunk also tied the game and sparked a 9-4 South Bay run.
James spoke about his confidence after the game.
"I’m just trying to get my confidence back," James told a reporter during his on-court interview. "I’m just trying to play my game. Learn from every game. While I’m not playing in the G League, learn from the Lakers, learning from my vets and just keep trying to be myself. That’s been working recently. I’m happy with my results."
Jan 23, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) interacts with son Bronny James during the game against the Boston Celtics at the Crypto.com Arena. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
"I am having fun," James responded when asked about the spotlight that's been placed on him. "Any time I'm playing basketball, any time I'm out here breathing, any time I'm out here walking ... I'm grateful for everything."
Oct 28, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center. (Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)
The win improved South Bay's record to 2-7.
Bronny’s four-time NBA champion took notice of his son’s heroics. "GRATEFUL OF YOU KID!!" the elder James wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, after the game.
James likely will not get the call to rejoin the NBA team until next month. The Lakers are in the midst of a road trip and return to Southern California for a cross-town game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 4.
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Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
