NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown had courtside seats to watch his Boston Celtics beat the Lakers in a Summer League game Monday night.
That means he had a front-row view of one of the NBA’s most talked-about rookies, Bronny James, the son and now teammate of Lakers superstar LeBron James. The 55th overall pick of this year’s draft started the game, played 25 minutes and finished with two points on one-for-five shooting, three rebounds, one assist and two turnovers. He was zero for three from three-point range, including two airballs.
At one point during the game, TV cameras caught Brown as he turned to his girlfriend Kysre Gondrezick, a former WNBA player, and gave an assessment of the younger James’ play. While there is no audio available of the conversation, Brown appears to say, “I don’t think Bronny is a pro.”
Gondrezick appears to respond, in part, “I think he’ll be on the G League team, for sure.”
Brown appears to reply, in part, “Because of his name, he’s gonna be with the Lakers.”
Chicago Sky star rookie Angel Reese was in attendance with Brown and Gondrezick, but wasn’t part of the Bronny James chat.
Early Tuesday morning, Brown retweeted a video showing the conversation between him and Gondrezick and did not deny what was widely reported the couple said. Instead, he offered more thoughts on the 19-year-old former USC player joining his 39-year-old father as a member of the Lakers.
“It’s a flex to have your son alongside you in the nba,” Brown wrote. “It reflects greatness and longevity! Bronny has all the tools around him to be successful I look forward to watching his growth.”
LeBron James is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and is entering his 22nd season. In the past, he publicly mentioned his desire to one day play on the same team as his oldest son but had backed off those statements more recently.
Bronny James suffered sudden cardiac arrest during a Trojans workout last summer but was able to start playing with the team Dec. 10. In 25 games as a USC freshman, he averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists.
He declared for the draft this spring and worked out for only two teams, the Lakers and Phoenix Suns, before being drafted in the second round by his dad’s team. On July 3, Bronny James signed a guaranteed contract with the team, agreeing to a four-year deal that could be worth nearly $8 million. The same day, LeBron James re-signed with the Lakers on a two-year deal that included a no-trade clause and a player option for the second season.
Bronny James has had a rough summer for the Lakers. In four games, he has scored a total of 17 points on seven-of-31 shooting and has missed all 15 of his three-point shots.