Bronny James gets special treatment, won’t travel for G League road games
The Los Angeles Lakers have decided that Bronny James will only participate in G League home games, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
“He’s only going to play in the South Bay Lakers’ home games. He’s only going to kind of be a part-time G League player, and he’s not getting on United Airlines to fly to these road games,” Windhorst said on the Hoop Collective podcast. “I know he’s getting somewhat special treatment and nepotism. That’s fine. Honestly, I don’t care. Like I said, it’s normal.
“Now, I think it’s actually detrimental to him. I don’t like that,” the NBA insider added. “I don’t know whose idea it was, but obviously, the Lakers are fine with it — they’re doing it. In this particular instance, I think that’s gone too far, and I don’t think it benefits Bronny. I don’t think it benefits the South Bay Lakers, and I don’t think it benefits LeBron at this point.”
“A lot of these regional flights that you take in the G League and all those hours that you’re spending in an airport connecting between wherever you’re going, you’re not working on your game. So, I think that’s maybe the case where if he’s spending that time even with the Lakers — he’s flying charter, and you have more consistent access to good facilities in the NBA than you’re going to in the G League that maybe can help him in terms of player development even if it’s not as many game minutes,” ESPN’s Kevin Pelton tried to explain the Lakers decision.
Bronny, the 20-year-old son of LeBron James, made his G League debut last Saturday against the Salt Lake City Stars. He played 31 minutes, scoring six points on 2-of-9 shooting from the field, including 0-for-4 from beyond the arc. The 6-foot-3 guard also contributed three rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a blocked shot.
LeBron was there to support his son, watching courtside alongside his wife, Savannah, and their 10-year-old daughter, Zuri. Bronny’s grandmother, Gloria James, was also in attendance, along with Lakers teammates Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell, as well as general manager Rob Pelinka.
Bronny made NBA history on opening night this season by becoming part of the first father-son duo to appear in an NBA game together. He recently scored his first career NBA points during the Lakers’ five-game road trip.
So far, he’s averaging 0.7 points over six NBA games this season.
