LeBron James and his son, Bronny, were famously paired up on the Los Angeles Lakers in 2024 when the franchise selected the latter with the 55th overall pick of the NBA Draft.

With that, they became the first-ever father-son duo in the league at the same time. They got the opportunity to play together not long after. 

However, now, with LeBron off to pastures new in Philadelphia, Bronny is looking forward to the prospect of carving out his own lane as a Laker — outside of his father's shadow, if you will.

"I'm excited for the experience, to experience something different," he told Spectrum SportsNet during the Lakers' media day on Monday. "You know, him [LeBron] not being here. To see how the staff treats me without him being there, and all my teammates and stuff like that. Excited for the season."

As far as acceptance goes, the 6-foot-2 combo guard is getting on well as the solo James on the Lakers. Earlier in the offseason, he traveled to Slovenia with the entire team, courtesy of an invitation from superstar Luka Doncic.

Bronny, 21, is very much a part of the Lakers' plans and is not viewed as any less of a member of the group just because of his father's history with the organization.

Heading into training camp, set to begin on Tuesday, Bronny has the opportunity to fight for regular playing time and build on the headway he already made last season. 

Following a quiet rookie campaign, Bronny played 42 games in 2025-26 — including some valuable minutes, such as in Game 4 of the first round of the playoffs, where he notched a postseason career high of 15 minutes, though the Lakers lost to the Houston Rockets 115-96. Los Angeles went on to win the series in five.

In that game, James took advantage of his opportunity. He went 2-for-5 from the field, scoring five points and adding two rebounds and four assists.

The reality of his situation, going into year three, is that he's never going to have to do too much on this particular team. He just needs to continue developing and showing head coach JJ Redick that he can excel in a complementary role, and that performance did no harm to his stock.

Bronny didn't overcome a major health scare during his lone year at USC just to get into the league for a participation award. He has his own goals and wants to work towards crafting a successful career. His mindset entering training camp will help him on that route. 

"I'm coming in like I'm playing against the Rockets in the playoffs last year," he said. "I'm coming in aggressive, playing smart, playing my game. And whatever the team needs, I'm that guy. I'm just ready to grow myself even more as a player and as a person." 

Analyzing Bronny's sophomore season in the league based on his averages is not wise due to the low-minute sample size. However, his underlying numbers show signs of evident progress and a ton of potential in a 3&D role. 

James shot 38.6 percent from three-point range on 57 attempts last term. He demonstrated a good eye for a pass with 51 total assists (1.2 per game) in limited ball-handling actions. He also flashed solid defensive instincts and a willingness to crash the glass. He may be a smaller guard in the modern game, but he makes up for it with elite athleticism. The last part runs in the family. 

Reflecting on the offseason, Bronny spoke about his growing relationship with Lakers newcomer Colin Sexton. Bronny said that he is looking to learn a lot from Sexton — a fellow undersized guard who is having a fine NBA career going into his ninth year. 

Bronny revealed that he speaks with Sexton every day. He tries to pick his brain, and the main thing he wants to take from him is his relentlessness on both ends of the floor. That's not a bad idea. After all, Sexton didn't earn his 'Young Bull' nickname from nothing. 

If James continues on his development trajectory while being the same good teammate and coachable player that he has been for his first two years in purple and gold, Redick will not overlook it. Because one thing is clear: James has far outgrown the G League level. 

The good news for Bronny is that the Lakers' third-year head coach is liking what he's seeing from him on the eve of camp.

"That guy's good," Redick told ESPN LA. "He's a good basketball player. We're excited to have him, and we're excited to coach him this year."