Бронни Жэймс эцгийнхээ нөмөр нөөлгөөс гарч NBA-д өөрийгөө батлах боломжтой боллоо

You could tell Bronny James needed this.

LeBron James fulfilled his dream of becoming the first NBA player to play alongside his son.

Now it’s Bronny’s turn to fulfill his dream.

He wants to be respected as an NBA player. And we all know that was a nearly impossible task while sharing a locker room with LeBron, who’s not only his dad but also one of the greatest basketball players of all time.

Bronny turned 22 years old on Tuesday. He’s entering his third season with the Lakers. He’s the third- longest-tenured player on the roster. And he’s no longer under his father’s shadow after LeBron left for the 76ers in free agency over the summer.

In the Lakers’ first preseason game on Monday against the Kings, Bronny had three points, five rebounds, two assists, one blocked shot and one turnover in 16 minutes.

It wasn’t a flashy statline by any means, especially not during a time of the year when coaches are experimenting with different lineups, stars are shaking off rust and fringe players are trying to earn a roster spot.

But Bronny doesn’t need to be flashy. He needs to do the small things. He needs to be dependable. Consistent. He needs to undisputedly prove that he’s an NBA player without being in his father’s oversized orbit.

Now’s his chance.

He has been trying to blaze that path for a while. He has been trying to shake off the nepotism label. He has been keeping his head down and putting in the work.

After he had a17-point, five-rebound and three-assist performance against the Bucks as a rookie in March 2025, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith even acknowledged that he “might have been wrong” about Bronny’s NBA readiness.

Last season, Bronny went on to earn playoff minutes against the Rockets and Thunder.

This season, he has a new challenge. Really, a new opportunity.

He finally can prove that his NBA career no longer has anything to do with his father. LeBron is out of the locker room. Bronny is on his own.

It’s something he’s clearly embracing.

“I mean, he’s got his own path, and I got my own,” Bronny said at Lakers media day when asked about LeBron leaving the Lakers. “So he knows that I want to make a name for myself and continue my career and keep growing as a player. And he knows that I want to focus on that.”

Bronny spent the first week of Lakers training camp trying to build his “defensive instinct.”

During the offseason, he devoted himself to working on his craft, with one of the focuses being his jump shot.

“I’ve been in the gym all summer working on fluidity and the speed of my release, stuff like that, moving,” Bronny said at Lakers practice on Saturday. “Tied into that, just running a lot. I’m the same weight, 215 or 220-ish, but still slim so I can move fast. Just getting in the gym every day and continuing to keep a routine.”

Next season should be telling.

Bronny can finally show the world what he can do without accusations that his father is holding the door open for him. The cries of nepotism will be quieted if he can thrive while LeBron is on the other side of the country.

Really, ever since Bronny entered the league as thethe 55th overall pick by the Lakers in the 2024 NBA Draft, he has had an impossible task.

LeBron has been the face of the league for two decades. He gets treated differently by players and staffers. Imagine being his son.Imagine being a rookie or a second-year player sharing a locker room with him.

While Bronny spent the last few years talking about how cool it was to play with his father, it’s obvious that he’s also excited to now have a chance to step out from under his father’s enormous shadow.

“I think for me, just the motivating factor of creating my own path and my own career makes me want to get up every day and work hard,” Bronny said.

It’s easy to root for Bronny.

He went from having a cardiac arrest that threatened his life as an incoming freshman at USC to making good plays in NBA games. He’s the son of a billionaire. He doesn’t need the scrutiny and pressure of being LeBron James’ son in the NBA. He’s doing this because he loves this.

He earned the respect of his coaches and teammates. He’s likable. He’s humble.

But his detractors were always the loudest ones in the echo chamber.

Even though Bronny was playing better than nearly anyone picked near him in the draft, he was always held to a different standard. He was LeBron’s kid. His bloodline meant that he had to suffer a spotlight that wasn’t meant for him.

Well, that spotlight has moved to Philadelphia.

Bronny is now on his own to forge relationships and earn playing time without one of the most powerful people on the planet standing in the room watching.

And if he does that, his detractors will finally be screaming into a void.

LeBron is gone.

And Bronny now has his first real chance to prove he’s where he’s supposed to be.