Bronny James made his NBA debut with the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday. He sat out on Sunday.
The 19-year-old second round pick was held out of his second game as a pro due to a minor injury.
Bronny, of course, is the son of LeBron James. His father recently resigned with the Lakers on what is essentially a max deal. They also signed the No. 55 overall pick to a $7.9 million deal, which is far above market value for his draft slot.
Although Bronny is expected to debut in the NBA at some point, Los Angeles will likely have him spend most of his rookie season in the G-League to help with the transition to professional basketball. In the meantime, he will join the Lakers for Summer League. Just not on Sunday!
Trace swelling in Bronny’s left knee kept him from playing two games in as many days. However, assuming that the swelling subsides, he is going to be back on the court in a few days for Wednesday’s game against the Miami Heat. His absence will last only one game if all goes according to plan.
The decision to keep the highly-scrutinized rookie on the sideline comes after he scored only four points in 21 minutes on 2-of-9 shooting against the Kings on Saturday evening. It was a rough introduction to the NBA.
As could be expected, Bronny haters were quick to joke about “load management.” They don’t believe his knee injury and question whether it was a PR move. Who is to say?!
The Lakers listed Bronny James as OUT with a knee injury. To assume otherwise would be irresponsible.
Whether it is true or not, the timing is unfortunate. Los Angeles’ rookie combo guard is one of the biggest draws for Summer League play, if not the biggest draw. For him not to play is a bummer for the fans!