After an ugly loss to a depleted Philadelphia 76ers team, the Los Angeles Lakers had a chance to bounce back against the Washington Wizards. The team handled their business, cruising to a 134-96 blowout win, and while the game itself didn’t offer much drama, it was another important night for Bronny James.
For the second straight game, Bronny saw extended minutes, a rare opportunity since Opening Night. Against Philadelphia, he had the impossible task of guarding Tyrese Maxey, who was scoring at will and torching every defender in his path. Bronny struggled, as expected-but so does just about every first-year player who gets stuck on an assignment like that.
On Thursday against Washington, Bronny had another chance to make an impact in garbage time, and this time, he got his moment. The 19-year-old drove into the lane, absorbed contact, and finished a tough free-throw, sending the Lakers bench into a frenzy.
Rui Hachimura, sitting courtside, immediately turned to LeBron James and embraced him, recognizing how much the moment meant. After the game, Hachimura opened up about just how much LeBron has been doing behind the scenes to help his son adjust to the NBA.
“You guys have no idea how much LeBron cares about Bronny… Of course, it’s his son, but he cares so much. I’ve been working out with him for two years, three years, whatever, in the summer and when Bronny was struggling with his physical, I was with him.”
Hachimura has seen it all firsthand. From offseason workouts to Bronny’s medical scare last year, he’s watched how deeply invested LeBron is in his son’s development.
“I was actually with him and just being around, how much Bron was trying to take care of him and how much he cares about him,” he continued. “I knew he wanted this so bad. Every time he gets in, he always talks to him. Just do you, do you, be aggressive, all that. So I knew he wanted that so bad.”
Even during games, LeBron is constantly coaching, advising, and encouraging Bronny from the sidelines, urging him to stay aggressive and trust his instincts. His reaction after Bronny’s free-throw said it all.
“Since he scored, he was trying to, I think, hold it in a little,” Hachimura said, smiling.
“So that’s why I was like, ‘Come on, bro.’ But yeah, he’s my big brother, so of course I was happy about it. It was a great moment, for sure.”
For any rookie, adjusting to the NBA is a challenge. But doing it while playing for the Lakers, under the brightest spotlight in the league, with the weight of his last name attached to every move he makes? That’s an absurd set of circumstances for Bronny. Yet, through it all, he’s handling it as well as anyone could realistically expect, staying locked in and focused on basketball.
At the end of the day, the noise around him won’t stop, but as long as he has the full support of his teammates and coaches, he has a real chance to develop at his own pace. Whether he becomes a long-term rotation piece or not, for him to find his footing in the NBA, the key for Bronny will always be blocking out the distractions and focusing on the work.
