The Los Angeles Lakers are deep into their preseason preparation as the NBA season is only a month away from starting. The season promises to be another challenging one for the Purple and Gold as the fans always expect them to compete for the Larry O’Brien trophy.
Aside from the burden of expectations, the LeBron James-led squad also has to deal with a rookie head coach in JJ Redick. While the team is reacting positively to some of the changes he introduced, the narrative surrounding his hiring can quickly turn south if they fail to look convincing as contenders.
Bronny James’ rookie season is another Lakers storyline that has become unnecessarily large. Many would argue that King James’ son doesn’t have what it takes to make the NBA, and some of the stories about him only solidify the sentiment for some even further.
You would think Bronny would keep his head down and focus on his game as he tries to establish himself in the league. However, his recent on-court move may have put a bigger target on his back.
Fans are hounding Bronny James for a flagrant foul during a Los Angeles Lakers preseason game
The second preseason game between the Purple and Gold and the Phoenix Suns was intense as went to overtime. While the Lakers eventually won, Bronny committed a nasty foul that made hoops fans mad.
What kind of defense is this? Bronny not even swiping for the ball 😭 pic.twitter.com/fX3IHUGUsS
— BricksCenter (@BricksCenter) October 18, 2024
Fans who watched James’ foul on Jalen Bridges made it clear that the rookie didn’t have any intent to defend the play at all.
One fan pointed to his decision as a clear representation of the elder James not teaching his son the proper way of defending:
Like father like son. Both lazy defenders.
— slantish (@slantish) October 18, 2024
Another fan quipped about Bronny being interested in another thing entirely:
Bronny just wants to play Call of Duty and these people make him play basketball. Smh.
— FERR0D (@FERR0D__) October 18, 2024
Speaking of games, one fan made a reference to the popular NBA 2K series:
Intimidator is not Hall of Fame
— Flash⚡ (@FlashhSZN) October 18, 2024
However, not everyone was out for blood. One fan pointed out that what happened was a basketball play:
That was honestly nothing, Bridges initiated the contact and Bronny just absorbed it. Foul fine but no way is that a flagrant
— m0ckingBird (@nyarlathHunters) October 18, 2024
James had good minutes during the game with the Suns. He finished the game with four points and two offensive boards in 17 minutes.
Given how Bronny’s been playing, it’s becoming more likely that he’ll be playing his rookie season in the G League. However, it wouldn’t be strange to see him play alongside his father for a couple of minutes when the Los Angeles Lakers start the season against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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