Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James will almost certainly see the floor Tuesday night alongside his dad, LeBron James. The Lakers will open up their 2024-25 regular season, hosting an Anthony Edwards-led Minnesota Timberwolves squad at the Crypto.com arena on the NBA’s opening night. No matter how many minutes the younger James will get, it will be a momentous evening for the league.
Bronny James Probable to Appear in Season Opener
Shams Charania Reports Lakers Plans for Bronny James
ESPN Senior NBA Writer Shams Charania reports Bronny will likely see playing time Tuesday night. The event will mark the first time he will play alongside his father in an NBA regular-season game for the Lakers. This night has attracted headline after headline since the NBA Draft. The Lakers brass have received some negative critique for the move. Concerns over prioritizing an opening night celebration are not in the Lakers’ best interest. However, others in the NBA and the media hailed the decision as otherwise.
Of course, the father and son duo played together during the preseason, but the regular season carries with it a unique aura for a special circumstance such as this. As for what Charania reports, it will likely happen earlier in the game rather than later.
Bronny James is expected to play tonight, per @ShamsCharania
“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… pic.twitter.com/XScJwyoObO
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 22, 2024
Charania is right to speculate that the entire event will have more impact and meaning if the James duo plays together while the game still matters, as opposed to fourth-quarter garbage minutes.
Why It’s Good To Get It Out of the Way
While the storyline has shadowed much of the Lakers offseason, it seemingly hasn’t affected the coaching staff or its players. Whatever your thoughts on the matter, ushering in the historic event in game one as opposed to later in the year will benefit the Lakers. This is because, after Tuesday, supposing Bronny plays, he will most likely head to the G League for most of the season. This would end the speculation when LeBron and Bronny will play together and cease to be a talking point. At this point, the Lakers and JJ Redick can turn their attention to the season in front of them.
The Lakers are under pressure (like most seasons) to have a solid, competitive season. Redick is also under pressure. There is weight behind coaching in Los Angeles, not to mention the mountains of scrutiny that followed the 15-year NBA-playing veteran post-hire. The Lakers still have two top-ten players in the league, James and Anthony Davis. However, the Lakers supporting cast remains the looming question mark.
While it will be a sight to see—LeBron and Bronny sharing the NBA floor—one could argue there will be a sigh of relief and finally some room to exhale after the event. LeBron still wants to win; it’s in his bloodstream. The Lakers want to contend and compete for a title. So, this season has to be about more than Bronny James. After Tuesday night, it assuredly will be.
