Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James is embracing a new chapter as he prepares for his first NBA season without his father, LeBron James, who departed for the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Sept. 28, Bronny expressed enthusiasm about the change, calling it "something different for sure."
"I'm excited for the experience, to experience something different with him not being here and to see how the staff treats me without him being there and all my teammates and stuff like that," he said.
"I'm excited for it, and I'm excited for the season."
LeBron James ended his eight-season tenure with the Lakers to sign with the 76ers, bringing an end to the first father-son duo in league history.
Bronny acknowledged the shift in dynamics at the team facility, noting, "Feels like he's not here."
He added, "I don't really have an opinion on that.
That's my dad, I spent 22 years almost living with him, so yeah, just another experience that I'm gonna be a part of and excited to see how it's going to feel during the season too."
The younger James also addressed their personal communication, revealing that conversations about business moves were minimal before the decision.
"We're men of very little words when it comes to talking about business, what we're going to do and how we feel about each other," Bronny said.
"So there wasn't really much to be honest with you."
As he approaches his third professional year, Bronny emphasized his focus on establishing his own identity in the league.
"He's got his own path and I got my own," he said.
"So he knows that I want to make a name for myself and continue my career and keep growing as a player.
And he knows that I want to focus on that.
So he decides to do that, I'm happy for him and excited to see where their season goes."
Looking ahead to the regular season, the Lakers are set to host the 76ers on Christmas Day at Crypto.
com Arena, with a road matchup in Philadelphia on March 4.
"Excited to see him on Christmas," Bronny said. "Excited to play against him on Christmas, so that's gonna be good.
That's pretty much it."
The guard noted that carving his own legacy serves as his primary daily motivation.
"For me, just the motivating factor of creating my own path and my own career makes me want to get up every day and work hard," Bronny said.
"Come in the gym and learn from guys that have been around longer than me. And it's just something that I've followed my entire life.
You guys know me as Bronny and my real name is LeBron, like, 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."
During the media session, he also shared a lighthearted interaction regarding off-court activities between the two.
"I won," Bronny said. "I won.
He's pretty pissed about it."
The Lakers enter the season under head coach JJ Redick with a roster built around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, alongside center Walker Kessler, as the team shifts toward a higher-tempo offensive scheme.
Bronny highlighted his offseason preparation with teammates during a trip to Slovenia aimed at building chemistry.
"We had some runs in practice, figuring out each other's game and just chilling off the court, getting to know each other," he said.
"... I think that's going to carry over into the season pretty well."
Commenting on the team's youth and roster dynamics, he noted the group's potential energy on the floor.
"Everyone's young," Bronny said. "...
I feel like we can feed off each other's energy and there's gonna be a lot of guys that can go out, give full effort and turn up the game."
LeBron James, meanwhile, outlined his competitive goals in Philadelphia, stating, "I didn’t leave my family to lose in the second round.
I know that for sure. Work needs to be done, and I’m ready to get to work."
Bronny concluded by reiterating the direct communication style between father and son.
"We're men of very little words when it comes to talking about business and what we're gonna do and how we feel about each other," he said.
"Wasn't really much, to be honest with you. He's got his own path and I've got my own.
... And he knows that I want to focus on that."
The family reunion on the court will occur when the Lakers host the 76ers on Dec. 25 in Los Angeles.
"I'm excited to see him on Christmas," Bronny said.
