The Los Angeles Lakers will be the team where NBA history will be made next season as LeBron James and Bronny James are expected to become the first father-son duo to play in an NBA game together. While the Lakers have been criticized for selecting the raw Bronny, guard Austin Reaves is excited to see how the Lakers will be positively impacted by that dynamic on their team.
“For LeBron to just put himself in a position to play with his son, it’s special. I know he will be motivated to play at his peak level. For me to be around them and to see what it’s going to be like, that’s going to be very cool for me.”
Reaves has tread the opposite path of Bronny, being largely overlooked for most of his career until joining the Lakers as an undrafted free agent in 2021. Players like Reaves prove the strength of the Lakers’ player development team and fills people with optimism about how Bronny could develop, but Reaves was a diamond in the rough as compared to Bronny being drafted with a gigantic spotlight on him.
Bronny had an unimpressive Summer League after a disappointing college season, keeping expectations for him low. It’s unclear how he’ll factor into the Lakers plans next season, but it’s likely he spends most of the season in the G League after making his Lakers debut to make history alongside his father.
Austin Reaves Will Help Bronny In Whatever Way He Can
Reaves has established himself as a starter for the Lakers after emerging through the team’s talent development system. He averaged 15.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 5.5 assists last season, has been repeatedly treated as an untouchable asset in trade talks, and thrives when he’s playing in a complementary role next to LeBron.
LeBron’s role in Reaves emergence and development has been well-known, so the 26-year-old guard hopes to have a similar veteran impact on Bronny’s development. He emphasized the need for patience with him, as he’s being held to an impossibly high standard as the son of LeBron James.
“I’m excited to play alongside him. He’s always going to get a bad rap for multiple reasons. He’s Bron’s son, so people are going to expect high-level things from him. You’ve just got to let the kid grow. Let him be his own self.”
“You can’t, you know, set a gold standard to bronze standards. It’s hard to live up to anybody, any sport. So if there’s anything I can do to help him, you know, like I said earlier, I don’t know if my dad was LeBron, I’d be listening to Austin Reaves, but this is super cool and I can’t wait to get to know him.”
Bronny could learn a lot from Reaves, especially to polish his offensive game. They seem like polar opposites in terms of how they emerged in the public eye, but they’re teammates and Reaves wants to see Bronny thrive and have a solid NBA career.
Having players with this mentality towards Bronny will be a huge plus for the Lakers, as worries around Bronny’s presence harboring resentment from others can be allayed after the same was reportedly a problem on the Lakers Summer League roster.
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