Shams Charania Details Lakers' Plan to Play Bronny James on Opening Night

Kristen Wong | Oct 22, 2024

Candice Ward-Imagn Images

All eyes will be on Bronny James in the Los Angeles Lakers season-opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night. 

Bronny and his dad, LeBron James are primed to become the first-ever father-son duo to share the court in an NBA game, and fans eagerly hoping to watch history being made may not have to wait long.

ESPN insider Shams Charania said it’s “very likely” the Lakers will put LeBron and Bronny together on the court against the Timberwolves, and that the moment could come “early in the game.”

“I’m told it’s very likely, and the Lakers plan that LeBron James, Bronny James make history as the first father-son duo to be on the court at the same time, and likely to come early in the game as long as it’s competitive and it’s a flowing game as far as where the Lakers are at early on in that game,” Charania said on Tuesday’s episode of SportsCenter. “I think that’s going to be very important. The Lakers want to allow this to happen during the flow of the game in a competitive environment.”

Lakers coach JJ Redick was noncommittal when asked whether Lebron and Bronny would team up this season, but the team has spent “a lot of time” discussing the topic internally, per Charania.

LeBron and Bronny played together for one preseason game on Oct. 6, when the Lakers lost 118-114 to the Phoenix Suns.

Bronny, who played one season at USC after suffering cardiac arrest in July 2023, averaged 4.8 points, 2.1 assists, and 2.8 rebounds per game in 25 games for the Trojans.

The combo guard put up his best performance in the Lakers’ preseason finale last week in which he got his first and only start, finishing with 17 points and four rebounds in a 132-74 loss to the Golden State Warriors.

The Lakers will host the Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena at 10 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

---

More of the Latest Around the NBA

feed