Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James looks on before an NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
ORLANDO, Florida — The final buzzer sounded Saturday, the South Bay Lakers had won a game and Bronny James seemed completely at ease.
Big smile. Handshakes with everyone. Even did a little dance step as he got to the bench.
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LeBron James’ oldest son made his peace long ago with the realization that he’s going to be judged differently because of who his father is. Bronny James insists that doesn’t bother him, saying Saturday at the G League Winter Showcase that he looks at the game differently — and still with some challenges — after suffering cardiac arrest on July 24, 2023.
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“I’ve become resilient over these past couple of years fighting through injuries, mental illness, stuff like that,” James said. “Just, you know, coming in and working every day and staying the course.”
The mental challenge, he said, stems largely from the scare of that day 17 months ago.
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“Trying to get past that,” James said. “It’s difficult, but I’m trying to work at it every day.”
He suffered cardiac arrest during a practice session at the University of Southern California and needed a procedure to fix what eventually was diagnosed as a congenital heart defect, then missed several months of basketball while recovering. The NBA cleared him to participate fully in the league back in May, and the Los Angeles Lakers — his father’s team — drafted him with the 55th overall pick in June, eventually signing him to a four-year, $7.9 million contract.
Bronny James has appeared in seven games with the NBA’s Lakers, making history by being part of the first on-court father-son duo in league history, and has spent time in the G League as well to continue his development. The Lakers have made no secret that James is a work in progress, and the 20-year-old doesn’t hide from that reality either.
“He’s got a lot of attention on him,” South Bay teammate Devonte’ Graham — a veteran of more than 300 NBA games — told ESPN in a televised postgame interview. “He knows how to deal with it. I think he’s been playing good.”
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James’ final numbers Saturday: six points, seven assists, four rebounds and a steal on 3-for-7 shooting in 25 minutes in South Bay’s 120-104 victory over the Osceola Magic. The athleticism was on full display at times — he twice went into traffic for rebounds, simply going over the maze of people to emerge with the ball.
“I’m just showing up every day, trying to get better every day, trying to learn every day and playing my game every day,” James said. “And I feel like that’s what is getting me to have fun and enjoy this sport that I love every day.”
He wondered in the immediate aftermath of the heart episode if he would be able to play the game, and there were plenty of doubters — and naysayers — when he was drafted after averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in his only college season.
The noise from the outside, he said, “flies in one ear and out the other.” He is just happy to be playing, whether it’s on a makeshift court inside an Orlando convention center on a Saturday afternoon or on the bright lights of the NBA stage.
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“My family, my parents, they are extremely thankful that I’m not only able to play basketball but also just walk around and speak to other people,” James said. “It’s a blessing to be able to play this sport that I love. There’s a chance I wasn’t going to be able to. So, I wake up and I’m thankful for that every day.”