Bronny

LAS VEGAS — Even with all the sports dignitaries in attendance and even though they were watching a rivalry game of sorts between the Lakers and Clippers, the fans inside the Thomas & Mack Center still were mostly enamored with Bronny James.

That is the kind of drawing power James had even with his dad, LeBron James, watching again from his baseline seats. That’s the kind of draw James had even with Steve Ballmer, Tyronn Lue, JJ Redick and Rob Pelinka in attendance.

Even with Austin Reaves, Deandre Ayton and Kawhi Leonard looking on, Bronny James was the center of attention yet again.

James had one of his better NBA Summer League games, but it was the Clippers who came out on top in a 67-58 win Monday night at Nevada Las Vegas.

James had 17 points, five rebounds and five assists in 24 minutes and 17 seconds.

He was six for 10 from the field and three for five from three-point range.

And, yes, he was happy to have the support of his family and teammates.

“It definitely gave me a little boost, seeing them cheer for me and my teammates,” James said. “It’s great to get in the gym with them.”

The star of the night was Clippers forward Jordan Miller, his 19 points and seven rebounds a big reason why the Clippers are 3-0 in the summer league.

His three-pointer late in the fourth quarter gave the Clippers a lead they never lost. He scored nine of the Clippers’ last 11 points.

“We got it done,” said Clippers assistant coach Jeremy Castleberry, who is the team’s summer league coach. “We got it done. We did what we needed to do, the second night of a back-to-back. For a lot of those guys, it was the first back-to-back they played in a long time. So, happy we got it done.”

James started strong, shooting a three-pointer to open the scoring. He added a step-back three in the second quarter, those two shots being part of his 12 first-half points on four-for-four shooting.

He made a three-pointer in the fourth quarter that tied the score 51-51.

“Yeah, I can see growth, for sure,” James said. “Honestly, I just feel like my confidence is growing over the last year and a half or so. So, I’m just going to grow on that and keep my mind right.”

The Lakers shot 34.4% just from the field, 30% from three-point range and 38.5% from the free-throw line (five for 13). They also turned the ball over 19 times.

Lakers assistant coach Lindsey Harding said the team showed signs of “fatigue,” which she expected considering it was their sixth summer game (they played three games at the California Classic in San Francisco).

“It just seemed like we didn’t have much pop,” said Harding, the Lakers’ summer league coach.

But not James. He seemed energized the entire game.

“Bronny came ready. He came ready. He had the spark,” Harding said. “You want these guys, especially him in that position and who he’ll be with us with the Lakers, when you get your minutes, go hard. Play until exhaustion, we’ll take you out and then we’ll put you back in. I thought that he did that today.

“He did a great job, even on the offensive end in finding players, making reads on pick-and-rolls. I think they struggled guarding him and he did a great job on the defensive end.”

But James wasn’t the only one who got the fans excited.

Clippers rookie Yanic Konan Niederhauser threw down a nasty dunk on Cole Swider in the third quarter, which brought the crowd to its feet.

Niederhauser had another strong outing for the Clippers with 10 points, two rebounds and two steals in 23 minutes.

LAS VEGAS — The crowd inside the Thomas & Mack Center began to stir a few seconds before the Lakers took the court, the buzz caused by LeBron James strolling into the arena to see his son play.

The elder James took a baseline seat as Bronny James and the rest of the Lakers took the court for warmups ahead of Saturday night’s NBA Summer League game against the New Orleans Pelicans.

There was a point early in the second half when LeBron James began to offer advice to Bronny — the kind of encouragement that helped Bronny put up a solid performance during the Lakers’ 94-81 win.

He had 14 points on five-for-11 shooting. He made one of four three-point attempts and also had three assists and two steals.

Bronny’s defense was solid as well.

“Yeah, we want him to play on the ball,” said Lindsey Harding, Lakers assistant coach and Summer League coach. “Especially in tight moments, I like the ball in his hands and I want him to make those decisions. You can go through as many drills as you want, but nothing beats live.

Lakers star LeBron James sits courtside during the team’s NBA Summer League game in Las Vegas on Saturday.

(Ethan Miller / Getty Images)

“So even after this, he will sit with his coach and watch his reads. Some are great, some can be better. … But it comes with confidence and even this game, whether he made the shot or not, that’s not what it’s about. It’s about making the right read.”

A few possessions after Bronny got the crowd cheering by driving the length of the court and scoring on a left-handed layup, LeBron started instructing him.

“More. More. Get downhill more,” LeBron told him.

On his next play, Bronny did just that, driving in for a layup.

Early in the fourth quarter, Bronny drove baseline and threw a pass that was tipped out of bounds.

“Pull-up,” LeBron told him. “Going right, that’s a pull-up.”

When a pass was thrown ahead to Bronny in front of the Lakers’ bench in the fourth quarter, LeBron yelled, “Knock it down!”

Bronny did, drilling a three-pointer. He did this despite nursing a sore hip after falling hard to the court earlier in the quarter.

Having coached up his son enough, LeBron left with about five minutes remaining.

Late in the first quarter, Darius Bazley blocked a shot and took off down court.

“Go Baz,” LeBron James uttered. “Go Baz.”

And Bazley did, finishing with a dunk.

Bazley had a complete night, producing a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. He also had five blocked shots.

“I guess I would show all my shows are on the defensive end,” Bazley said. “I’m trying to prove that I can switch one through five. I can be in the right spots, protect the rim, all that type of stuff. Offensively, just doing what’s asked — offensive rebounding. Like you said, being a screener, creating advantages for other guys.”

Even with a sore ankle that was taped after the game (Harding said he would be fine), Bazley left an impression.

“Bazley is an amazing defender,” Harding said. “He can guard on-ball. He can guard the point guard. He can guard the center. He does a great job off the ball. Sometimes defenders are great on-ball and not on-ball and vice versa, but he can do everything. He’s long. We need him for every position and they were huge blocks.”

Etc.

Dalton Knecht, who said he suffered cramps in both his legs during Thursday night’s game against the Mavericks, didn’t play Saturday.

LAS VEGAS — The Thomas & Mack Center public-address announcer called it the “main event” at the NBA Summer League, with Lakers’ second-year guard Bronny James and Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg at the center of it all.

The fans didn’t have to wait long for the moment they all came to see when Flagg, the first overall pick in the draft out of Duke, defended against James from the start of the game.

The atmosphere was electric until the end, with Flagg’s Mavericks pulling out an 87-85 win after James missed a three-pointer seconds before the final buzzer.

“It’s Summer League and everyone is going to come out for the first game,” James said. “Like, it’s going to be a crazy atmosphere, no matter what. So I just try to embrace it.”

Neither put on a shooting exhibition, but the fans didn’t seem to care.

James had eight points, missing six of eight shots. He also had two rebounds and two assists in 20 minutes and 51 seconds.

Flagg had 10 points on five-of-21 shooting, missing all five of his three-point attempts. He had six rebounds, four assists and one block.

Still, James was impressed.

“He’s great,” James said. “I watched him all in college. He’s an amazing player. So I have a lot of respect for him. He’s going to be special.”

Early in the game, James came off a screen with Cooper trailing and arriving too late, giving James just enough time to launch a jumper that settled into the net.

Lakers guard Bronny James, left, controls the ball in front of Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg during the Lakers’ Summer League loss Thursday.

(Ryan Stetz / NBAE via Getty Images)

James struck again, drilling a three-pointer over Cooper, drawing cheers from the fans.

James switched and took on the challenge of defending Cooper in the post, drawing more cheers.

Flagg missed his first two shots, and it was clear the fans wanted him to keep shooting. His first basket was off a breakaway dunk, leaving the fans shaking their heads and cheering.

James and Cooper continued their duel in the second quarter, with a couple of plays showcasing the intensity of their battle.

James, who is 6 feet 3, took on the 6-9 Flagg in the post, Flagg waving his teammates away as he tried to face the challenge alone. James stole the ball but was called for a foul, his look at the referees incredulous as the fans booed.

On the next possession, Flagg scored on a fadeaway over James, drawing more cheers as Flagg slapped hands with his teammates on the bench.

“I’m a pretty small guard,” James said. “So if I get switched down there I have to stand my ground somehow. That’s why I weigh like 215 [pounds] and I got to stand my ground down there and make sure I’m not getting bullied anywhere.”

Late in the game, the Lakers got a scare when Dalton Knecht buckled his knees while trying to score on a layup.

“Both of my legs cramped,” said Knecht, who had 15 points, “and I airballed the layup.”

Flagg shot a late airball, but he blocked a shot by DJ Stewart with 1:09 left.

The game came down to James to win it for the Lakers, but his missed three with 3.7 seconds left sealed the Lakers’ fate.

“Yes, I want him to fill that responsibility at the end of the game,” said Lindsay Harding, Lakers assistant coach and Summer League coach. “I want him to have the ball in his hands and I’m going to live and die with whatever shot he takes. It was the decision he made. It was a good shot. I’ve seen him make it before.”

James made another positive step in his efforts to improve his conditioning.

“I felt good,” James said. “I felt I could have knocked some more shots down, but it is what it is. You’re not going to make them all. I felt my effort on the defensive end was good and that’s what I’m focusing on this year.”

SAN FRANCISCO — Bronny James made his 2025 summer league debut, scoring 10 points in 10 minutes during the Lakers’ win over the Miami Heat in the California Classic at the Chase Center on Sunday.

The Lakers led for most of the game, rolling to a 103-83 victory.

The Heat went on a 10-0 run to start the third quarter, but the Lakers responded with strong perimeter shooting to maintain a double-digit lead.

Cole Swider was the Lakers’ leading scorer for the second consecutive game, finishing with 20 points against the Heat. Swider shot seven of 10 from the field, including two of five from three-point range.

“We have to get back to defending how we did in the first half, I thought we did a great job,” Swider said. “They only had 38 points in the first half. They came out high, but we were able to weather the storm and win the third quarter, which was huge for us.”

James, who didn’t suit up for the Lakers’ loss to the Warriors on Saturday, was three-of-seven shooting and two-of-five from three-point range. He sat out the second half because of a minutes restriction for conditioning.

“It felt good, just getting out there for the first time this summer. I’m just trying to make a difference any way I can defensively and offensively,” James said. “… First wind was definitely tough. … Pretty much just trying to go out there have fun and not be so tired while I’m doing it.”

Bronny opened up the game with a steal and fast-break dunk to score the Lakers’ first points.

The Lakers shot 57.1% from the field and stepped up their perimeter defense while limiting the Heat to 14 free throws. Miami made just eight of 27 (29.6%) from beyond the three-point line.

Swider said as one of the veterans on the roster, he tries to provide support for younger players.

“This is my fourth year doing this thing, I think I might be the oldest guy on the roster,” he said. “Just giving these guys a game, trying to help Dalton [Knecht] as much as possible, trying to help Bronny as much as possible. Me and Bronny had a great stint together with the South Bay Lakers, so just trying to continue that chemistry and continuity.”

The Lakers get a day off before they play the San Antonio Spurs in the final game of the California Classic on Tuesday. Tipoff will be at 7 p.m. The team will then travel to Las Vegas for the remainder of its summer league schedule.

SAN FRANCISCO — The Lakers dropped their first game of the California Classic at Chase Center to the Golden State Warriors 89-84 on Saturday after leading by double digits in the first half.

The Lakers struggled defensively in the second half, giving up 30 points in the third quarter, when they trailed for the first time.

Bronny James traveled with the team but did not suit up.

Darius Bazley was the Lakers’ only constant on defense, switching on the perimeter while contesting shots at the rim. Perimeter defense was a clear struggle for L.A., forcing late challenges by bigs leading to 25 free throws.

Cole Swider was a bright spot all game for the Lakers, using his ability to shoot from deep to tally a game-high 24 points on seven-for-10 shooting, including, six of eight from three. Swider, entering his fifth year in the NBA, played seven games for the Lakers his rookie season.

DJ Steward also stood out, scoring 20 points on seven-for-10 shooting. Steward’s ability to get to the rim and draw fouls allowed for catch-and-shoot threes for teammates.

“This is a good opportunity to be myself,” Steward said. “There’s a lot of things [the coaching staff] wants me to hone in on, controlling the controllables, picking up 94 feet, communicating, and getting guys involved.”

In his fifth summer league appearance, Steward was the game’s second-leading scorer and assist co-leader with six.

Steward said he will push for a win when the Lakers play their next game on Sunday.

“We got to get the guys together to go out there and play harder than we did today,” Steward said. “We have to make sure we’re picking up 94 feet and being more physical.”

The Lakers’ first round draft pick last season, Dalton Knecht, looked a bit rusty scoring only 10 points on three-for-13 shooting, missing all six shots from deep. Knecht is coming off a season for the Lakers where he averaged 9.1 points on 46.1 % shooting in 78 games.

“It took a while for me to get going; I didn’t get going at all,” Knecht said reflecting on his performance. “I just have to come out ready to play better tomorrow and shake off the rust. My teammates were great, they came out competing, picking up full court, rebounding and crashing the glass, so I’m proud of my team.”

The California Classic will continue tomorrow when the Lakers take on the Miami Heat. Tip off will be at 1:30 p.m.

Bronny James stood with his back to the wall with both hands buried in his workout shorts, his practice with the Lakers summer league team complete, his voice sounding more confident now that he’s entering his second season in the NBA.

He had to endure the outsized pressure and criticism of playing last season with his superstar father, LeBron James, a season in which Bronny and his dad made history by becoming the first father-son duo to play together in an NBA game.

Now, Bronny is more assured about his talents and he’ll get to showcase what he’s worked on when the Lakers play the Golden State Warriors in the California Classic on Saturday in San Francisco.

The Lakers will play three games there and then head to Las Vegas for the NBA Summer League.

That is where the most anticipated summer game could take place because the Lakers open the action against Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick in the June draft, and the Dallas Mavericks on July 10.

Like all last season, James knows a lot of people will pay attention to that game — to him, still, and to Flagg.

“Last year it was a crazy environment for me to step in and produce right off the rip, like being nervous too,” Bronny said. “So, I feel like this year, I’ll be able to go out and play freely and know what I’m gonna go out and do for me and my teammates. So, yeah, I’m just really excited to be able to play nervous-free.”

Dalton Knecht got some extra shots up after practice Wednesday, his stroke looking just as impressive as it did last season when he shot 37.6% from three-point range during his rookie season with the Lakers.

Knecht, too, is especially looking forward to playing in Las Vegas.

“Vegas, I mean, I feel like all of us didn’t care who we played [last summer],” Knecht said. “It was just go out there and play. Our fans always show up. We go out there all the time and it’s pretty much Laker fans that sell out that arena and show us so much love. We’re just trying to go out there and try to put on a show no matter who we are playing.”

Lakers rookie Adou Thiero, their second-round pick (36th overall) out of Arkansas whom they acquired in a trade with the Timberwolves, is dealing with a left knee injury and will not play this summer. The Lakers said Thiero is in the final stages of his return to play and expected to be fully cleared for training camp.

For James, one year of playing in the NBA has made a difference as he approaches this summer.

He appeared in 27 games last season, starting once, and averaged 2.3 points per game on 31.3% shooting, 28.1% from three-point range.

“Yeah, it’s definitely some more excitement than nervousness, for sure,” James said. “I’m just ready to go out there and play and be better than I was the last time I was playing. Just having that mindset of being ready to play and ready for whatever’s thrown at me, no matter the role, what I gotta do on defense, offense, everything. Being a good teammate for my new summer league team, stuff like that.”

Besides skill work, James said his plan for the summer is to be in “elite condition” and to “be disruptive on the defensive end.”

“So that’s my main focus, probably why I’m getting a little leaner,” he said. “But I still got 215 [pounds] on me still. So, I’m just running a lot, getting a lot of conditioning in. And then just staying on top of my diet, eating healthy, being a professional. It’s just Year 2, so I gotta lock in on the things that I didn’t know before my rookie year and being better and excel with that. Yeah, my main focus is this year, or this summer, has been being in elite condition. That’s what I’ve been talking to my coaches about.”

Knecht played in 78 games last season, averaging 9.1 points over 19.2 minutes per game.

As the season progressed, Knecht said the game slowed down for him and that allowed him to improve.

When the Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Timberwolves, Knecht said he went to work right away. In his eyes, there was no time to waste.

“Right after the [playoff] loss, I pretty much started right away. Didn’t take much time off,” he said. “So I was getting in the gym, starting at 6 a.m., going with the guys at 10 and then coming back later at night just to get as many shots as I can, just working on my game and my cuts.”