Lakers’ Bronny James Rumored to Make Surprise Appearance at Historic Pro-Am League

As the NBA 2026 Summer League has come to an end, Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James is rumored to be appearing in a game in the Drew League this weekend.

The Drew League is a pro-am summer league in Los Angeles that features college, G League, and overseas players. And oftentimes, NBA players will make surprise appearances in a game or on the sidelines.

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Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Kevin Durant made appearances at the Drew League in 2011. Additionally, Los Angeles natives DeMar DeRozan, James Harden and Baron Davis have previously made regular appearances in the league.

Now, the younger James and his fellow 2024 Lakers draftee Dalton Knecht — plus L.A. Clippers guard Cam Christie — are speculated to be making surprise appearances in the league.

"I’ve heard Bronny [James], but nothing clear on that yet. I heard Bronny might play. But nothing concrete,” said Drew League Commissioner Dino Smiley. “Earlier in the summer, there was talk about Dalton Knecht and Cam Christie playing.”

Smiley said he would like to see Bronny playing in the league this summer, especially because his father has played in the past. He also teased a potential surprise appearance from LeBron if Bronny were to play.

“I think it would be great. It would be interesting to see how he matches up with these guys. It would be interesting to see. Since his dad played a couple of times down here, who knows, maybe he’ll pop up there with him this weekend,” Smiley said.

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Bronny's father is 21-time All-Star Lakers forward LeBron. Watching his father play in the Drew League could encourage him to follow in his footsteps.

James finished his first professional season with the Lakers after being drafted with the No. 56 overall pick in 2024. He played in 27 NBA games, becoming the part of the first father-son duo to play together on the same NBA team.

He also competed in 11 G League games, where he averaged 21.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists with the South Bay Lakers.

His time in the G League seemed to have helped raise his confidence, as he shined in this year’s Summer League. James averaged 16.3 points, 4.3 assists and 2.6 rebounds across three Summer League games.

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