Father-son NBA time put on hold as Lakers assign Bronny James to developmental G League team

By Kevin Dotson, CNN

(CNN) — On Friday night, LeBron James will play his first game of the season without his son by his side.

The Los Angeles Lakers assigned Bronny James to the team’s G League South Bay Lakers squad on Thursday.

The move was widely expected and comes after the rookie guard appeared in just three of the Lakers’ first eight games of the season. Playing a very limited role with the team, Bronny tallied four points in 13 total minutes of playing time.

The 20-year-old made history in the Lakers’ season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves in October when he and LeBron became the first father-son duo to appear together in an NBA game.

Bronny, who was taken in the second round of the NBA Draft in June, should see increased playing time in the G League, where many later draft picks are given the opportunity to continue to develop their skill sets.

James’ reassignment does not necessarily mean that NBA fans have seen the last of the rookie playing alongside his father in the NBA this season.

Lakers coach J.J. Redick told reporters in October that the team had always intended for the rookie to split time between the NBA and the G League throughout the season.

“The plan for Bronny to move between the Lakers and South Bay has always been the plan since day one,” Redick said, according to the Associated Press. “(Lakers general manager) Rob (Pelinka) and I have talked about that. LeBron’s talked about that.”

James’ path toward NBA history playing alongside his famous father has not always been smooth. As an incoming freshman with the USC Trojans, James suffered a cardiac arrest in July 2023 during a team practice.

Following the health scare, James underwent a surgical procedure to treat a congenital heart defect and was sidelined for several months before being cleared to return to the court.

As a result, James’ only season at the college level was abbreviated. He started only six games for the Trojans, with most of his minutes coming off the bench.

James could make his debut with the South Bay Lakers on Saturday against the Salt Lake City Stars in El Segundo, California. LeBron’s Lakers, meanwhile, continue their season against the Philadelphia 76ers Friday night at home.

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