Bronny James is entering the first season of his NBA career without LeBron James standing beside him in the Lakers locker room. That separation could do more than change the family dynamic. It may also give Bronny room to play without constantly measuring himself against the name on the back of his jersey.
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At Lakers Media Day, Bronny addressed that pressure himself. Speaking of sharing the same name as his dad and the comparisons, he said:
“I’ve been doing this for however long, so I think it’s a motivating factor for me just getting up every day and trying to prove myself as Bronny instead of LeBron.”
That comment drew attention from Gilbert Arenas on Gil’s Arena, where the former All-Star and a former mentor of Bronny focused on the difference he saw in the guard’s game when his father was not around.
“You’re playing in the G League and he’s (Bron) not there. Your game was very different. Aggressive, strong, right? Like, like when people talked about him, it was only the NBA Bronny. They never mentioned what he was doing down there, right? It was a whole different mindset, and you don’t change like that, right? The only thing that’s fearing you is names, right?”
Arenas’ point is easier to understand when Bronny’s two seasons are separated by level.
With the Lakers, he has often played in short stretches while under enormous scrutiny. In the G League, he has produced far more freely, averaging 18.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg, and 4.4 apg over 25 games. Most importantly, he shot 41.3% beyond the arc. It was something he was heavily criticized for.
The statistical gap does not prove that pressure caused every difference. But it does show the contrast Arenas was pointing toward.
Bronny now has to build his own place in the same organization where his father has been the franchise’s biggest figure. That does not remove the attention attached to the James name. But it changes the circumstances around it.
Arenas believes that could Bronny relax.
“He might be more relaxed,” he said, before explaining that Bronny no longer has to worry about opponents directing the same level of attention toward him because LeBron is no longer on the team.
“He’s gone. Focus on Philly. I get to do me over here by my own self.”
There is also a basketball reason for Arenas’ optimism. Bronny does not need to carry an offense in LA. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves will handle the majority of the creation, leaving Bronny a more defined lane as a defensive-minded guard who can space the floor and attack openings.
That role lines up with what JJ Redick has been asking of him. The Lakers coach has pointed to guards such as T.J. McConnell and Davion Mitchell as examples of the defensive pressure, activity, and toughness Bronny can bring without needing heavy usage.
And ahead of the training camp, this is what Redick had to say about Bronny: “That guy’s good. He’s a good basketball player.”
The challenge now is turning the freedom Arenas describes into consistent production. Bronny has shown flashes, particularly in the G League, but his NBA sample remains small. Last season, he averaged 2.9 ppg in 8.9 minutes per game.
That is where the coming season becomes important.
With LeBron James in Philadelphia and Bronny remaining in LA, there is no longer a shared roster to blur their individual progress.
His father’s absence removes one layer of scrutiny, but it leaves Bronny with more responsibility. Arenas sees that separation as a chance for Bronny to stop worrying about the name and start defining what comes with it. The next step is making that identity visible on the court.