LeBron James Gearing Up For 'Surreal' Training Camp Alongside Bronny

They'll be the first father-son duo to ever suit up alongside each other on an NBA team.

Mar 28, 2023; Houston, TX, USA; West guard Bronny James (6) with father LeBron James following the McDonald's All American Boy's high school basketball game at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

20-time All-NBA Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, no stranger to making NBA history, is set to make some more in 2024-25.

After a one-and-done season with the USC Trojans, James' 19-year-old son Bronny was selected with the No. 55 pick in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft. Whenever Bronny and LeBron James both don the purple and gold on the hardwood together for the first time, it will also signify the first instant that a father-son duo has been on the floor at the same time, let alone played together on the same NBA team.

During a newly-released conversation on his show "The Shop" (recorded from Paris while James was in town claiming his third gold medal at the 2024 Olympics), the 39-year-old LeBron James addressed the prospect of suiting up alongside his oldest child.

“I am so excited for training camp,” LeBron James noted. “Having your son work with you, it’s like the greatest thing. I can’t wait for this moment. I really cannot wait to hit the floor; it’s going to be pretty surreal for me.”

Can Bronny James actually help the Lakers improve on their 47-35 finish to the 2023-24 season, which led them to an expedient first round defeat at the hands of the Denver Nuggets? The raw point guard seems unlikely to crack L.A.'s rotation during his rookie season, but his fellow first-year guard draftee, former Tennessee Volunteers All-American swingman Dalton Knecht, seems primed to earn an actual bench marksman role.

Across his 36 games during his final collegiate season, the 6-foot-6 wing averaged 21.7 points while slashing .458/.397/.772 shooting splits (that 39.7 percent 3-point conversion rate arrived on a high-volume 6.5 triple tries), 4.9 rebounds, 1.8 dimes, 0.7 steals and 0.6 blocks a night. Knecht looked impressive in Summer League, too. In six Summer League games, Knecht averaged 18.0 points on .367/.342/.767 shooting splits, 4.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.5 steals a night.

Otherwise, the Lakers are bringing back almost all of their 2023-24 vintage, with the exception of departing combo forward Taurean Prince and point guard Spencer Dinwiddie. Prince, hoping to compete for a title, jumped ship to the Milwaukee Bucks on a veteran's minimum contract. Dinwiddie, aspiring for the same, returned to the Dallas Mavericks, fresh off a run to the 2024 NBA Finals.

With a deeper Western Conference this season, Los Angeles will have its work cut out for it.

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