The Los Angeles Lakers have released their updated roster along with the current weight of all the players. While some fans focused on Luka Doncic going from roughly 244 to 242 lbs, many eyes were on Bronny James who now weighs 223 lbs.
Now entering his third season in the NBA and with the Lakers, James has had a difficult few weeks. In the Lakers’ most recent preseason game against the Golden State Warriors, he played for eleven minutes and scored no points. Naturally fans bashed him for his performance, just like they’re now bashing him for his weight.
According to @LakersNation, Bronny James used to weigh 209. The new roster update shows that LeBron James’s heir has gained roughly 14 lbs heading into the 2026-27 season.
“Bronny been eating wheaties for sure like his pops 223 at 6’2 is crazy,” wrote one fan, recalling LeBron James featuring on the iconic Wheaties cereal box cover. The upcoming season would also be Bronny James’ first, playing without his father on the team.
“pounding 14 lbs in one offseason is insane work and everyone in here is just glossing over it,” wrote one fan, seeing that many were also focused on the minor weight loss of Luka Doncic.
Yet other fans compared Bronny James to an NFL player. At 6’2 and 223 pounds, Bronny James wasn’t far from New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart. “Bronny would of been an elite safety,” wrote one fan while another added “Boy Bronny would’ve been a helluva DB I tell you.“
Finally, some fans were just amazed, saying, “Bronny being at 223 pounds at 6’2” is wild.”
This isn’t the first time the public eye has found James. After the Lakers lost to the Warriors in the recent preseason game, fans quickly criticized the player for his scoreless run. Doncic missed the game to rest himself before the regular season, and to some, it looked like the team fell apart in his absence.
It also didn’t help when coach JJ Redick personally brought up James’ performance in a conversation later on. “I thought he had a really nice September and a good summer with us,” Redick said. “I don’t think he’s played well in the four preseason games, but he’s had good practices. I mean, again, some of it’s just rhythm, some of it’s who he’s playing with, right? He’s played a lot of minutes, especially in the second half of games with our two-way guys”
As Redick mentioned, James has mostly seen minutes with players on the end of the Lakers’ bench. Will he continue to get time on the floor during the regular season? That remains somewhat questionable.
What appears certain at this point is that he may not see a lot of minutes in the first few games. That doesn’t mean it’s all negative. At one point in the preseason, he was even the league’s leader in assists, which put him ahead of the Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic.
Overall, there are signs of promise in the young NBA player. The Lakers will go up against the Denver Nuggets for their final preseason game. Their next destination is the regular season on October 21, 2026, against the Warriors.