Bronny James‘ reaction to his father LeBron James’ spectacular slam dunk finish was priceless. In Tuesday’s game between the LA Lakers and the Washington Wizards, the 40-year-old King James demonstrated with his incredible athleticism and jump height, posterizing Jonas Valanciunas and electrifying the crowd at the Crypto.com Arena in the process.
The highlight play came with 6:31 remaining in the second quarter. Austin Reaves caught the offensive rebound after Max Christie’s missed three-point shot, setting a perfect lob to an unguarded James, who sped to the basket and jumped to catch the ball for an alley-oop dunk and drawing a foul from Valanciunas for an and-one.
LEBRON JAMES LOB THROWDOWN 🫨 pic.twitter.com/GxnKZxrgvy
— NBA (@NBA) January 22, 2025

Meanwhile, Bronny James, who was watching from courtside, found himself unglued to his seat and putting his hands to his head in awe at his father’s highlight-reel-worthy play.
BRONNY COULDN’T BELIEVE THIS ALLEY-OP POSTER BY LEBRON 🤯 pic.twitter.com/bTTUYLjJ01
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) January 22, 2025
The Lakers dominated the Wizards. The final score was 111-88.
Bronny James got some playing time against the Wizards
The game between the LA Lakers and the Washington Wizards last Tuesday was a blowout in favor of the Purple and Gold. And so, Lakers head coach JJ Redick gave Bronny James some playing time at the end of the fourth quarter.

In two minutes of play, the former USC guard grabbed a rebound and a steal while shooting 0-for-1 from the field.
The Lakers’ crowd was ready to erupt for Bronny James. 😆 pic.twitter.com/dE4ZTcolPP
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 22, 2025
Following their victory, the Lakers improved to 23-18 this season, putting them in the sixth seed in the Western Conference. They have an impressive 15-6 record at home.

The Lakers will be hosting Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics next on Thursday evening.
Ex-Lakers guard defends Bronny James
On Jan. 15, the LA Lakers released Bronny James’ fellow rookie Quincy Olivari in order to make room for the acquisition of 6-foot-11 center Trey Jamison III. On Aug. 14 last year, Olivari signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Lakers, then it was converted to a two-way contract on Oct. 19.
Following his release, Olivari spoke with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson, sharing a message about his former teammate and fellow rookie.
“People wanted Bronny to be his father right off the rip and that’s not a fair comparison for anybody,” Olivari said.

It was not the first time Olivari defended Bronny. Earlier in November last year, the now-released rookie guard expressed his happiness for LeBron James’ son during a practice media availability.
“I was just happy to see Bronny get out there and show the world that he can play. I’m a big advocate on pushing that he’s a great player and the criticism he gets is unfair,” Olivari said.
I asked Quincy Olivari about his performance. Instead, he gave Bronny his flowers: “I was just happy to see Bronny get out there and show the world that he can play. I’m a big advocate on pushing that he’s a great player and the criticism he gets is unfair.” #Lakeshow pic.twitter.com/GyApaJq8aq
— LoJo Media (@LoJoMedia) November 10, 2024
Olivari became a fan favorite after his viral preseason moment with Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry. Many fans lamented his release from Los Angeles.
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