Bronny James and LeBron James high-five during the game against the Indiana Pacers.
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INDIANAPOLIS — The teammates stood, two names on Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick’s substitution matrix, side by side at the scorer’s table in the second half Wednesday night.
The Laker on the right did his best to stay locked into the game, to try and calm his breaths and focus on the job in front of him: get stops, play hard, be aggressive. The Laker on the left did his best to take the moment in — one that’s been building for years, a shared bond that other teammates in the NBA have never shared.
Both leaned back against the blue cushion atop the table and waited for the horn to announce their entrance. Each crossed their arms in the exact same way.
Late in the third quarter, play stopped and the announcer said, “In for the Lakers, Bronny James Jr. and LeBron James.”
A lot has happened in the 16 months or so since the teammates made NBA history as the first father and son to play in the same game. For Bronny, the novelty has largely worn off as he’s tried to earn a regular spot in the league — even if he noticed the work genetics did as they stood identically Wednesday night in the third quarter of the Lakers’ 137-130 win.
“I’ve been around him and basketball at the same time for a while now, so it’s not that special,” Bronny said after the game. “The first couple times were, of course, but it’s my second year now. And I’m just trying to prove myself.”
With Marcus Smart dealing with an ankle injury and the team ready to get the hell back home, the Lakers needed to find energy. And as they looked down the roster, the coaching staff tabbed Bronny to provide it.
“Felt like this was a game we really needed him,” Redick said. “It was a game that, you know, his athleticism, his defense…. we saw it last year, and we’re seeing it again this year, just his growth as a player.”
But for the player standing next to Bronny at the scorer’s table, Wednesday was absolutely special. It was no gimmick, the two playing alongside one another. It was another stage in a remarkable comeback that people often forget when talking about the Lakers’ 2024 second-round pick.
“Especially knowing the path, you know, the road …,” LeBron James told The Athletic. “So, just proud of him. I’m super proud of him. And he belongs. He belongs.”
That path, of course, changed on July 24, 2023, when Bronny suffered cardiac arrest during a summer workout with the USC basketball team. Trainers and emergency responders helped save his life. Surgery corrected a congenital heart defect.
In one of their most recent conversations about basketball, LeBron said he saw a look in his oldest son’s eyes — one he hadn’t noticed since before the incident. That look, he said, was his son saying “I’m back to where I was,” — confidence in his game, body and mindset all aligning at once.
“Physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally, he’s back,” LeBron said.
For the Lakers, Wednesday was another moment that reinforced the Lakers’ belief that Bronny is a NBA player, that their investment in his development was wise and that their proclamation that he’s “case study one” for the player development program bodes well for their plans.
Forget the meager NBA season stats — the eye test, especially when given extended opportunities like Wednesday, has Redick and the Lakers positive they have a real NBA player on their hands.
Postgame, Redick said Bronny’s first-half defense was terrific. A one-handed dunk along the baseline showcased the athleticism he’s learning to consistently unleash. And a pull-up midrange jumper late in the fourth settled things as the Pacers made their final push.
All of it came in the context of the Lakers trying to win a basketball game, scratching out enough energy to win for the fifth time on a six-game road trip with the flight home looming.
Pregame, Lakers coaches were nervous about the 48 minutes ahead. The Pacers, fresh off beating Orlando, were a group they felt were better than their 16-57 record. The Lakers were gassed and ready to get off the road, their guards nearing exhaustion after a stretch against Denver, Houston, Miami, Orlando and Detroit. And they were banged up — Smart, Rui Hachimura, Deandre Ayton and rookie Adou Thiero all unable to play.
Thanks to another dominant start from Luka Dončić, the Lakers quickly led. They were up 17 when Bronny checked into the game late in the first and led by 22 when he exited in the second. At no point during the shift did he look out of place, at no point did any of it feel orchestrated.
“Real, meaningful minutes. I couldn’t dream of better. I couldn’t dream of something better than that. Just couldn’t,” LeBron told The Athletic. “For him to go out and, you know, I mean obviously he’s… he’s shown over this — almost two years, year and a half — his progression. And why he belongs in this league. And what he can do in this league.
“So, for the coaching staff to trust him tonight, and for him to have significant playing time and make … make plays — and for me to be out there on the floor with him — that’s … I couldn’t, I couldn’t dream of a better feeling than that. I could not.”
Away from the bright lights (as much as he can be), the 20-year-old has made strides, as any rookie would hope: “I see the progress. For those paying attention to the NBA’s G League, Bronny’s improvement shouldn’t come as a surprise. After a slow start during the league’s tip-off tournament, he’s been terrific on assignment, averaging 15.3 points on 54.6/42.1/90.9 shooting splits.
It’s an example of hard work paying off — something Bronny, like those crossed arms and big vertical, inherited.
“That’s what he’s cut from. That’s just our household. Our household, we don’t, we don’t do s– half-assed. That’s just how we work. Our whole household. Everybody. Mom, sister, brother, dad, everybody. That’s just how we, that’s how we… that’s where we come from. We come from the Midwest, and we come from Akron, Ohio where ain’t s— really given to you,” LeBron told The Athletic.
“So, like I said before, like the kid, he doesn’t have to do this. After having the situation that he had, you think he had to really, like, work his way to get back in shape and play basketball? He could have been like ‘Man, f— this s—. Like ‘I’m gonna do anything I want.’”
Wednesday, Bronny got what he wanted.
“Feels good,” he said after. “You know, just go out there and play my game, be confident in myself. That’s what I always wanted to do.”
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Dan Woike covers the Los Angeles Lakers for The Athletic. He’s written about professional basketball in Los Angeles since 2011, first for the Orange County Register and most recently for the Los Angeles Times. His work has been recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors, the Pro Basketball Writers Association, the Los Angeles Press Club and the California News Publishers Association. He’s originally from Chicago. Follow Dan on Twitter @DanWoikeSports