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From Bill Plaschke: He seems so small. He seems so young.
Sitting on a stage with two seasoned NBA types and a veteran collegian Tuesday, Bronny James looked like a kid sitting at the adults’ table.
The Lakers’ JJ Redick, Rob Pelinka and Dalton Knecht answered questions about basketball. Bronny answered questions about his father.
Who happened to be standing in the back.
“For sure, an amplified amount of pressure,” the 19-year-old son of LeBron James said. “I’ve already seen it on social media … and the internet … talking about that I might not deserve an opportunity. But I’ve been dealing with stuff like this my whole life. So it’s nothing different.”
He sighed. “But it’s more amplified, for sure. But I’ll get through it.”
Imagine attending your first NBA news conference and already talking about enduring the pressure. How fair is that? But that is the position in which LeBron and the Lakers have put this young man by drafting him 55th when nobody else was going to take him, making him a pro when he should have stayed in college.
Threw him to the wolves and now he must fend for himself, and it might not be pretty.
————
From Dan Woike: LeBron James stood off stage, back in the shadows behind the assembled reporters there to see the two newest Lakers, one of whom happens to be his eldest son.
Bronny James, the team’s second-round draft pick sat with first-rounder Dalton Knecht to his right and general manager Rob Pelinka and head coach JJ Redick to his left.
Tuesday marked a big day inside the Lakers’ facility in El Segundo, the organization celebrating its hope for the future while one of the biggest factors in its present watched from the back.
In Knecht, the Lakers capitalized on an unexpected draft slide to take the All-American scorer with the No. 17 pick. And in Bronny James, the Lakers made the most discussed No. 55 pick in league history, fueling days of debate about nepotism and pressure.
Mychal Thompson tried to recruit Klay to Lakers, ‘really disappointed’ he chose Mavs
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CLIPPERS
From Broderick Turner: The Clippers have interest in signing free-agent forward Miles Bridges, according to people with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly.
It probably would take a sign-and-trade deal in which the Clippers send a draft pick to Charlotte for Bridges, who averaged 21 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists while shooting 46.2% from the field last season for the Hornets. Players who have been discussed for a possible deal include sixth man Norman Powell, who makes $19.2 million, and swingman Terance Mann, who makes $11.5 million.
Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard impresses during workout in front of Team USA leaders
DODGERS
From Jack Harris: The Arizona Diamondbacks had a base open.
They decided to pitch to Freddie Freeman anyway.
In the Dodgers’ come-from-behind, walk-off 6-5 win over the Diamondbacks on Tuesday night, Freeman provided the pivotal moment in a game-winning two-run rally in the ninth, hammering a two-strike double to tie the score before scoring the winning run on Teoscar Hernández’s game-ending single an at-bat later.
It was the kind of late-game sequence the Dodgers have mastered of late — with the home team thrilling a sold-out Chavez Ravine crowd for their 18th comeback win of the season.
For most of the night, the two teams traded blows in a back-and-forth contest.
The Dodgers took an early two-run lead. Bobby Miller avoided implosion in a two-run fourth inning. Then, after a monstrous two-run blast from Shohei Ohtani gave the Dodgers a 4-3 lead in the seventh inning, the club’s bullpen gave up runs in the top of the eighth and ninth innings to allow the Diamondbacks to surge back in front.
‘Occupational hazard’: Why pitching injuries have put the Dodgers in a trade deadline jam again
How Clayton Kershaw’s rehabilitation setback affects his timetable to return to Dodgers
ANGELS
Lawrence Butler and Brent Rooker hit home runs, Mitch Spence gave up one hit over 5 1/3 innings, and the Oakland Athletics beat the Angels 7-5 on Tuesday night.
Brett Harris added a two-run double for Oakland, which had lost seven of its previous eight games and 17 of 21.
Nolan Schanuel had two hits and four RBIs for the Angels, who had won six of their previous seven games.
SPARKS
From Marissa Kraus: Despite holding a 12-point lead after three quarters and a season-best night by Stephanie Talbot, the short-handed Sparks couldn’t hold off the Washington Mystics in the final minutes Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. The Sparks lost 82-80, extending their losing streak to eight games.
The night was highlighted by the announcement that Sparks forward Dearica Hamby was named to the WNBA All-Star roster for the third time. The WNBA All-Star game against the U.S. Olympic team will be held at Footprint Center in Phoenix on July 20.
During her second start of the season, Talbot put up a career-high 17 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals. Aari McDonald also scored 17 points, her second most of the season, and delivered six assists. The Sparks shot 28 for 60 from the field while the Mystics shot 23 for 67. Myisha Hines-Allen led Washington with 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists, while Julie Vanloo contributed 15 points.
ANGEL CITY
From Kevin Baxter: Walt Disney Co. chief executive Bob Iger and his wife Willow Bay, dean of the USC Annenberg School of Journalism, are close to completing a deal that would see them invest $250 million in Angel City FC, nearly doubling the value of the most valuable women’s sports franchise in the world.
Dylan Byers, of the news website Puck, was first to report on the negotiations, were which confirmed to The Times by two people with knowledge of the investment, but who are not authorized to speak about it on the record. The transaction could be completed quickly, with Bay and Iger replacing Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian as the team’s controlling shareholder.
Ohanian was also the team’s representative on the NWSL Board of Governors. It was not immediately clear Tuesday who would assume that role.
U.S. MEN’S SOCCER
From Kevin Baxter: Uh oh.
In less than two years the World Cup is coming back to the U.S. and we’re not ready. Not even close.
That was obvious Monday, when a 1-0 loss to Uruguay knocked the U.S. out of the Copa América after three games. It was the first time in 20 global or continental tournaments that the national team has gone out in the group stage and the first time a Copa América host had failed to advance.
Moving the Copa América to the U.S. was meant to be a dress rehearsal for the 2026 World Cup in the U.S. The plan was to expose problems with the stadiums, the training facilities, transportation and infrastructure.
What was exposed instead were the failures of the national team.
“Bitterly disappointed with the results. We know we’re capable of more, and in this tournament we didn’t show it,” coach Gregg Berhalter said.
Asked if he’s still the right man to lead the team, the long-embattled coach answered yes. That may not be the right answer though. A couple of hours later Matt Crocker, U.S. Soccer’s sporting director, issued a statement that was far from a show of support.
Amid rising MLS popularity, should its teams gamble on bigger stadiums?
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1925 — Suzanne Lenglen wins her sixth and final women’s singles title at Wimbledon, easily beating Joan Fry, 6-2, 6-0.
1951 — Sam Snead wins his third PGA Championship with a 7 and 6 victory over Walter Burkemo at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club.
1966 — Atlanta pitcher Tony Cloninger becomes the first National League player to hit two grand slams in one game. He adds a single for nine RBIs in a 17-3 triumph over San Francisco.
1976 — Bjorn Borg beats Ilie Nastase 6-4, 6-2, 9-7, to win his first men’s singles title at Wimbledon.
1981 — Wimbledon Women’s Tennis: Chris Evert beats Hana Mandlíková 6-2, 6-2 for her third and final Wimbledon singles title.
1982 — Martina Navratilova begins her streak of six straight singles titles at Wimbledon with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 victory over Chris Evert Lloyd. It’s the third Wimbledon singles title for Navratilova, all against Evert Lloyd.
1983 — Calvin Smith sets the 100-meter world record at Colorado Springs, with a run of 9.93 seconds. He breaks the previous record of 9.95 set by Jim Hines in 1968.
1983 — Wimbledon Men’s Tennis: American John McEnroe wins 5th career Grand Slam title; outclasses Chris Lewis of New Zealand 6-2, 6-2, 6-2.
1994 — FIFA World Cup: In a huge upset Romania eliminates Argentina 3-2 from the round of 16 at the Rose Bowl.
2004 — Maria Sharapova, 17, wins her first Grand Slam title and instant celebrity by beating Serena Williams 6-1, 6-4. For the first time since 1999, none of the four major titles is held by a Williams.
2005 — Roger Federer wins his third consecutive Wimbledon title by beating Andy Roddick 6-2, 7-6 (2), 6-4. Federer is the third man since 1936 to win three straight Wimbledon crowns, joining seven-time champion Pete Sampras and five-time winner Bjorn Borg.
2006 — Annika Sorenstam wins the U.S. Women’s Open after 10 years of frustration and wins her 10th major championship.
2006 — Detroit Red Wings legend Steve Yzerman officially retires from the NHL, finishing with 692 goals and 1,755 points.
2010 — Serena Williams wins her fourth Wimbledon title and 13th Grand Slam championship by sweeping Vera Zvonareva in straight sets in the women’s final. Williams, who finishes the tournament without dropping a set, takes 67 minutes to win 6-3, 6-2.
2011 — Novak Djokovic wins his first Wimbledon, beating defending champion Rafael Nadal 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3.
2018 — Feliciano Lopez makes history just by taking to the court at Wimbledon. The 36-year-old Spaniard breaks Roger Federer’s record by appearing in a 66th consecutive Grand Slam singles tournament, continuing a run that started at the 2002 French Open. Lopez beats Federico Delbonis of Argentina 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.
2020 — The Major League Baseball All-Star game planned to be hosted by the Dodgers is cancelled due to governmental restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time…
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.