Lakers’ Bronny James Ripped Apart By Former NBA Veteran in Disrespectful Rant

Oct 5, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) talks with son, guard Bronny James (9), during a break in the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images | David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Bronny James saw significant playing time Friday when the Lakers opened up the preseason with a 103-81 loss to the Phoenix Suns.

On a night that saw Luka Doncic and Bronny's father LeBron James sit out as they continue to ramp up for the official start of the season on Oct. 21, Bronny James played 24 minutes — the second-highest among the 13 players who saw the court behind fellow second-year player Dalton Knecht.

More news: Bronny James Gets Honest on 1-for-12 Shooting Performance in Lakers Preseason Opener

James struggled in the Lakers' opening night, shooting just 1-of-12 from the field, with his only make coming from one of the eighth three-point shots he took. James made five of his six free throw attempts and added five rebounds and a pair of assists.

On Sunday, James didn't fare much better, making two of his six field goal attempts for five pounts, three boards and three assists.

An Uninspiring Start from Bronny James

James' uninspiring performance against the Suns prompted a scathing review from former Lakers big man Kwame Brown, who spent three of his 12 NBA seasons in Los Angeles.

“This ain't year one. This is year two. This is year two. This don't make no sense. We got high school players better than Bronny. Absolutely got high school players better than Bronny,” Brown said on his YouTube channel. “Bronny was never the best high school player on his team. He was never the best college player on his team. And he still gets 12 shots in a preseason game where everybody's auditioning where nobody normally passes the ball.”

Brown went on to claim that James was only getting a shot at earning a spot in head coach JJ Redick's rotation because of his father.

“And for every young man that thinks that you can just be the president or you can get in the league and you gonna get a fair shake at it. I think the LeBron James situation just proved [__] the narrative that they tried to say, ‘Oh, it's nepotism.' No, I think this LeBron James situation just proved that politics is in everything,” Brown said.

While Bronny hasn't, won't and probably shouldn't address Brown's comments, he did speak on his mentality after the Lakers' opening game, saying he felt his head was in the right place with the shots he took.

“I felt like they were pretty good shots,” James told reporters. “I didn’t rush, wasn’t forcing anything. I didn’t have my legs under me as much as I wanted to, so I left a lot of them short. But most of them were on line and I felt like I could have made them. I took some good shots.”

Bronny will get another shot at proving his value on the court when the Lakers host the Warriors in Los Angeles on Oct. 12.

For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.