LeBron James heads into a new NBA season alongside his son and the Lakers’ new influencer coach

Bronny James, now almost 20, is adjusting to the limelight his father, LeBron, has been in for 22 NBA seasons. The two will make history as the first father-son duo to play together in the league, although LeBron has set some ground rules. His son can’t call him “dad” on court for one. “We cannot be running down the court and he’d be like, ‘Dad, I’m open! Dad, come on!’ No you cannot do that,” he joked on a recent podcast. “He gotta call me like, ‘2-3′ or ‘Bron.’”

LeBron expressed his excitement at NBA Media Day. “It’s pure joy, to be honest, to be able to come to work every day, put in the hard work with your son every day and be able to see him continue to grow. We push each other,” said James, who turns 40 in December. Next to him was Bronny, wearing No. 9, standing at 6-foot-10 in the iconic yellow and purple Lakers jersey, once worn by legends like Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O’Neal. “That’s such a crazy feeling, to be in practice with your dad and competing at a high level,” said Bronny.

The Lakers’ preseason begins Friday in Palm Springs against Minnesota, one of six scheduled games. While the Lakers made no major signings this summer, other teams made key moves. The Celtics, led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, will face off against Nikola Jokić's Nuggets in two preseason games in Abu Dhabi. Denver, looking to defend its title, added point guard Russell Westbrook, now on his fifth team since leaving Oklahoma in 2019.

The regular season kicks off October 22 with an Eastern Conference classic, Boston vs. the New York Knicks, who recently acquired Karl-Anthony Towns in exchange for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. Meanwhile, rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama joins veteran Chris Paul on the San Antonio Spurs, while the Clippers prepare to debut in a new stadium after losing Paul George to the Sixers.

In Los Angeles, all eyes are on Bronny. His arrival on the Lakers came after the team selected him as the 55th pick in the draft — a move that sparked debate. Many analysts believed he should have stayed in college for another season after averaging modest stats with the USC Trojans: five points, three rebounds, and two assists in 25 games. Bronny’s college season was cut short by a cardiac arrest in July 2023, caused by a congenital heart condition that kept him off the court for five months.

The buzz around Bronny’s signing hasn’t been without controversy. Celtics star Jaylen Brown was reportedly overheard during a summer game commenting that Bronny’s future seemed more aligned with the G League. In that game, Bronny played 25 minutes and scored only two points, missing all three of his three-point attempts.

LeBron remains realistic about his son’s development: “If we get a couple of opportunities on the floor throughout the course of the season, obviously that’s going to be amazing. Seeing him continue to grow as a basketball player, no matter if it’s here with us or if it’s down with the G League team,” he said.

An influencer coach

Bronny is determined to be ready for the start of the season. In the first training session on Tuesday, he ran six miles, the most of any Lakers player, as captured by cameras at the team’s training center in El Segundo.

JJ Redick, a former ESPN commentator and social media personality, was named the Lakers’ head coach earlier this year. The former shooting guard had a standout college career at Duke and a lengthy NBA career with teams like the Clippers, 76ers, and Mavericks, retiring in 2021. Known for his basketball IQ and media presence —he boasts over 600,000 followers across social media — Redick has taken a break from his online platforms to focus on coaching. He previously hosted popular podcasts like The Old Man and the Three, which reached a million subscribers, and frequently discussed basketball strategies with LeBron on Mind the Game.

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said Redick’s hiring was about “innovation and challenging ourselves to be forward-thinking.” Despite his lack of coaching experience, Redick is crafting a plan to maximize the historic opportunity for LeBron and Bronny to play together. However, he has made it clear that most of Bronny’s minutes will likely come with the G League’s South Bay Lakers.

As Redick steps into his new role, the pressure is on to improve a Lakers roster that was defeated in the first round of the playoffs last season.

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