LeBron James is taking it personal in Lakers practice amid Bronny James' presence

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The locker-room dynamic between LeBron James and Bronny, the first father and son duo in NBA history, will be one of the major subplots of the Los Angeles Lakers’ season. It seems like Bronny’s presence on the team is already reinvigorating his father amid all the talk of vibes being immaculate at the start of training camp for the Lakers.

Bronny may not be expected to play a rotation role for the Lakers in his rookie season, but he is surely turning heads to start training camp. In fact, his second day at camp could not have gone any better. He reportedly caught fire during scrimmages, as per Dave McMenamin of ESPN, and he even drilled a three-right in LeBron’s face, prompting some major cheers from the Lakers squad.

LeBron, being the competitor that he is, used this as fuel; Anthony Davis recalled how the Lakers star ratcheted up the intensity after Bronny nailed a triple over him.

“It’s fantastic to be able to be here and witness it in practice. Bronny hit a 3 over him today. Everybody was talking smack in Bronny’s favor. Then Bron came down and just bullied somebody. Just took it out on [the defender] — I forgot who it was — and got a layup. Bronny came down and hit another 3, I think over Austin [Reaves]. And Bron wanted the ball,” Davis recounted.

Perhaps seeing Bronny be on the same NBA team is reminding LeBron of his age; he’s about to turn 40 years old later this year, which, in NBA standards, is of geriatric age. But LeBron is not about to let the youngster, let alone his own son, punk him out.

There were plenty of doubts surrounding what kind of impact Bronny’s arrival would have on the Lakers locker room. Many cried foul over allegations of nepotism, and perhaps some players would feel threatened by the fact that the son of the team’s biggest star is on the team and get some preferential treatment. But the early returns have been nothing but positive, as it seems like Bronny is bringing out the best in LeBron.

Bronny James is turning heads in Lakers training camp

Many fans have high expectations for Bronny James; after all, he is the son of arguably the greatest basketball player of all time in LeBron James. But the Lakers have already made it a point to bring him along slowly. He is the 55th overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft after all, so it makes sense that he won’t be contributing for the team right out of the gates despite earning a fully guaranteed multiyear deal.

However, Bronny may not be too far off from contributing. His defense and activity could earn him minutes, especially if the Lakers encounter some injury problems. He has an impressive 6’7″ wingspan, which should help him be a nuisance in the passing lanes, and he has the defensive instincts to complement his athletic gifts.

The major question mark surrounding Bronny is his ability to contribute on the offensive end. But it sure does seem like his offensive game is coming around nicely. The made three over LeBron during the Lakers’ second day of training camp suggests that the 19-year-old guard has been hard at work in polishing his jumpshot. His 3-and-D potential has never been more apparent than it is today.

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