Bronny James has faced intense scrutiny over his place and role on the new Lakers squad. Yet, one of his teammates sees a different side of his game. The competition within this team extends beyond the hardwood. One unexpected area where James Jr. can stand eye-to-eye with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. And that could reveal a fascinating side of Bronny that few have seen.
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If you’ve already guessed the answer as golf, then congratulations. The Los Angeles Lakers’ latest $52 million recruit, Sandro Mamukelashvili, spoke with ESPN about golf. Lakers Talk Daily host Deondre Hawkins told the 27-year-old that Reaves is one of the Lakers’ top golfers while noting Doncic and other teammates have also embraced the sport.
Then he asks Mamukelashvili, who ranks as the team’s second-best golfer behind Reaves based on their skills and reputation? The American-Georgian forward replied, “So, I’ve been hearing a lot about Bronny. They say he’s really, really good, and he actually plays a lot. So, I haven’t really seen him play, but I’ve heard a lot of great things about him. So, I’m kind of looking forward to seeing Luka-Austin-Bronny tournament.”
While Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic often steal the golf spotlight, Bronny James stands as the underrated competitor.
In September 2025, James joined YouTube golf creator Grant Horvath for a challenge video. The then-20-year-old said he had played golf for only 4 months. Horvath, who had nearly 1.5 million subscribers, was impressed by his swing. Things became more interesting when Bronny revealed his best 18-hole score was 81!
That number quickly raised eyebrows among golf fans as well. An 81 is achievable for strong amateurs, but reaching it after only 4 months can seem unusual. Therefore, Mamukelashvili wants to see the Lakers guard go against Reaves and Doncic, who have built quite a reputation in golf.
Now, Austin Reaves has turned golf into a serious side pursuit. He competes at the American Century Championship each year, placing T13 in 2024 and 2025. Meanwhile, his golf-centric Hillbilly Bogey brand with Trent Swaim keeps growing. Their YouTube content captures regular rounds and celebrity matchups, including time with Stephen Curry, giving Reaves another entertaining lane beyond basketball.
Meanwhile, Luka Doncic is fairly new to the sport. He credits LeBron James and Reaves for getting him into golf. single Topgolf visit changed everything, giving him a relaxing hobby that quickly became part of his routine. Soon, the Lakers star found himself hooked. His enthusiasm has grown so much that he now aims to play daily. On some days, Luka even completes 36 holes, spending nearly 8 hours on the course.
So maybe the NBA fans, precisely the LA Lakers fans, will get to see a golf face-off between Bronny James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves in the future. And well, they should undoubtedly credit Sandro Mamukelashvili for planting this idea!