Bronny James got special treatment at NBA Summer League as LA Lakers players grew ‘frustrated’ by losing opportunities to LeBron’s 19-year-old son and teammate, report claims

Bronny James’ summer league teammates with the Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly frustrated with the way LeBron’s son has been treated in Las Vegas in recent weeks.

The younger James was taken with the 55th pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, but since signing his four-year, $7.9 million deal earlier this month, the 19-year-old has been accused of nepotism. In this case, sources were concerned that Bronny’s chances on the court in summer league play were hurting other players’ chances of making an NBA roster for the upcoming 2024-25 season.

‘…you could feel there was no unity [between] “This group of guys, because Bronny was the main guy, and the others didn’t think it was right, that he deserved it,” a Lakers insider told the US Sun.

‘And because of the attention and treatment of Bronny, a lot of other young boys who are trying to make the squad for next season, couldn’t show their best side and play their best game.’

A member of the Lakers’ summer team confirmed to the Sun that “almost everything revolved around Bronny.”

LeBron James trained in Las Vegas for the Olympics, but has now traveled to Paris

“I mean, he was treated like a separate person, not like the rest of us, and that’s really upsetting because we didn’t feel any chemistry in this group of players,” the unnamed summer league player told the Sun.

“I got really frustrated because I was never put in the best situation or even provided some of the plays or game plans because they wanted Bronny to showcase his skills and shine,” the anonymous player said.

“The tensions were visible and we were all thinking about getting out of here after the end of the Summer League and focusing on the next step in our careers.”

That player warned that the situation may not have been Bronny’s fault, while the Lakers themselves indicated they have “nothing against” LeBron’s son.

Regardless, the experience was unpleasant for the Lakers’ locker room, the report said.

“It was really Bronny On Tour,” said his teammate.

The anonymous insider also complained that Bronny’s spokespeople prevented the inexperienced guard from speaking to reporters, which may have put his teammates in an awkward position.

“This doesn’t look good for us,” the insider told the Sun.

Bronny also made his first-ever career three-pointer on Wednesday against the Atlanta Hawks

Bronny was a bystander after the Lakers determined they had gotten everything they wanted out of the NBA’s most talked about rookie.

He finished the summer league on an upward trajectory after a poor start, scoring 25 points on 10 of 21 shooting in his last two games. That included making 3 of 8 baskets from 3-point range after going 0 of 15 in his first four games.

“He’s had two pretty good games the last two games,” Lakers Summer League coach Dane Johnson said. “I think it’s just going to help him in the summer, just so we can work with him on different things. Just that confidence and knowing that he can play at this level. It’s still going to take a lot of time and a lot of reps.”

Some fans were disappointed that the Lakers kept James on the bench, briefly chanting “We want Bronny” in the first quarter of Saturday’s 107-81 win over the Chicago Bulls.

During Summer League stints in San Francisco and then Las Vegas, the son of NBA all-time leading scorer LeBron James opened his shooting on 7 of 31 overall, fueling talk — or perhaps even the perception — that the Lakers squandered their 55th pick as a favor to the face of the franchise.

The younger James at least put some of those rumors to rest with his performances Wednesday against the Atlanta Hawks and the following night against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“He doesn’t let that kind of stuff get him down,” Johnson said. “He just wants to play basketball and be on a team. He’s a good kid. He listens. He tries to learn.”

There is still much to learn.

At 6’2″, James is built like a point guard, but he doesn’t bring the ball up the court due to concerns about his ball-handling. Instead, he’s played shooting guard, which can be a problem when going up against taller players at that position.

“I think he’s more of a (shooting guard) right now, but I think he could be a combo-ish,” Johnson said. “He picks things up really well. We throw things at him — plays, coverages, defensively. He actually picks it up really quickly, so I think he could potentially be (a point guard). Maybe we’ll work on that in the summer, but I think he’s in his place right now as a secondary playmaker.”

James also needs to show he’s a consistent shooter from the perimeter, and two promising games at the end of the summer won’t alleviate all concerns.

Bronny James splits the Cavs’ summer league defense during a recent game in Las Vegas

The Lakers will likely try to bring him in slowly, giving James a chance to fix some of the issues in the G League. But the Summer League fan favorite will also get his chance with the big club, and one of the NBA’s most historic franchises knows how much buzz James will generate if he gets drafted.

Never before have a father and son taken the court at the same time for an NBA game, which is rare in a major North American sport.

Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. shared the same Major League Baseball field in 1990 and 1991 with the Seattle Mariners. In the 1970s and 1980s, hockey legend Gordie Howe played with sons Marty and Mark for the WHA’s Houston Aeros and the NHL’s Hartford Whalers.

The James family will be joining that list, something they won’t be taking for granted after Bronny’s health scare last summer. He went into cardiac arrest while training at the University of Southern California. James underwent surgery to repair what was diagnosed as a congenital heart defect, causing him to miss the start of the Trojans’ season.

In his lone college season, he averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists. He chose to declare for the NBA Draft rather than return to USC.