The Los Angeles Lakers have announced that guard Bronny James will only be playing in home games while down with the G League’s South Bay Lakers and won’t travel on the road with the rest of the team.
His role with the team will essentially be “part-time” – James’ contract with the Lakers is a full-time one, not two-way, so interjection by the organization was necessary.
Bronny James Will Only Play G-League Home Games
“He’s only going to play in the South Bay Lakers’ home games. He’s only going to kind of be a part-time G League player, and he’s not getting on United Airlines to fly to these road games,” ESPN’s Brian Windherst said, who reported the decision. “I know he’s getting somewhat special treatment and nepotism. That’s fine. Honestly, I don’t care. Like I said, it’s normal.”
Bronny James’ brief time with the South Bay has attracted strong interest from the public—his box score and pregame quotes have all told their own stories. Now we get another layer.
There isn’t much precedent for something like this. Even NBA players who are notorious for load management due to age or injury will travel with their teammates for long road trips.
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James’ debut with South Bay was balanced but largely ineffective: six points, four assists, three rebounds, two steals, and a block to go along with five turnovers.
With how raw and unrefined he was perceived entering the draft, live reps would be the easy first step to developing James into an NBA-ready athlete. Those valuable reps will now be slashed in half.