ICYMI: LeBron James watches on as son Bronny drops 28 points in Strive For Greatness’ blowout win over Paul George Elite
LeBron James' son Bronny James seems to be making it a habit to produce solid performances every time the former is on the sidelines watching him in action. During a recent AAU tournament game, Bronny went off for 28 points to lead his team, Strive for Greatness, to a blowout win over Paul George Elite.
The 17-year-old was unstoppable at both ends of the floor, making impressive plays throughout the contest. Here are some of his highlights posted by Slam HS Hoops on Twitter:
Bronny James has developed multiple facets of his game this season. His defense and shooting have improved as he edges closer to being eligible to be included in the NBA draft.
LeBron James has tried to be around for most of his son's games this year. He was present for some of Bronny's high-school matches earlier this year as well. Most of those games took place at the Crypto.com Arena, the homecourt of the LA Lakers, and Footprint Center, the homecourt of the Phoenix Suns.
James will likely be monitoring Bronny's progress closely over the next few years. He has already made his thoughts clear about playing in the NBA until the latter is eligible for the draft. LeBron Sr. will be just months away from his 40th birthday in 2024 when Bronny will meet the criteria to join the league.
LeBron James likely to miss out on playoffs for the fourth time in his career
LeBron James has had a remarkable 2021-22 NBA season as far as individual performances go. The 'King' is leading the NBA's scoring title race against the likes of Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo, averaging 30.3 points per match. However, his form has not translated into consistent wins for the struggling LA Lakers.
The Lakers' experiment with relying on a veteran roster, with most of their stars close to the end of their careers, has failed miserably. They are ranked 11th in the Western Conference, a game behind the 10th-placed San Antonio Spurs, with a 31-46 record.
The team's two leading stars, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, have endured injury-riddled seasons yet again. Meanwhile, their offseason blockbuster signing, Russell Westbrook, has severely underperformed in his first season in LA.
The Lakers were expected to be vying for homecourt seeding at this stage, but instead find themselves struggling to even get into the play-in tournament.
LeBron James and co. have a difficult schedule ahead to end the regular season as well. They face the Denver Nuggets twice, the league-leading Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors in four of their next five matches. They will have to go 4-1 or 5-0 during this stretch to bolster their play-in qualification hopes.
To make things worse, James and Davis are likely to be questionable to play all of those matches as they have been nursing injuries. If the Lakers miss out on the play-in tournament, it will only be the fourth time James will not be in action during the postseason in his 19-year-career.