Bronny James Admits He’s Looking Forward to Seeing How Lakers Staff Treat Him Without LeBron James

For the first time in his NBA career, Bronny James is entering a season without his father, LeBron James, by his side. Now preparing for his third season with the Los Angeles Lakers, Bronny will have to navigate a different environment after LeBron left the team in July.

Bronny faced criticism during his rookie season from those who argued that his connection to LeBron influenced the Lakers' decision to draft and roster him. With LeBron now gone, Bronny's place on the team will be viewed through a different lens. The Lakers still chose to keep him on the roster, and Bronny is aware of the circumstances. He's also curious to see whether the organization treats him differently now that his father is no longer around.

"I mean, it's something different for sure," Bronny said on Spectrum Sportsnet. "I'm excited for the experience, to experience something different with (LeBron James) not being here and to see how the staff treats me without him being here... I'm excited for it, and I'm excited for the season."

Throughout his first two NBA seasons, Bronny James has faced constant pressure to live up to the standards his father set at the same age. When his production fell short of those expectations, the criticism followed.

That could change with a significantly reshaped Lakers roster heading into the 2026-27 season. With several new pieces around him, Bronny enters the season in a different team environment, making his role under head coach JJ Redick one of the more interesting storylines to watch.

Bronny James Wants to Carve His Own Path

As mentioned earlier, Bronny James entered the NBA with an unusually high bar hanging over him. Because of his last name, comparisons to what LeBron James accomplished at the same stage of his career were almost inevitable.

But those expectations quickly became unrealistic. Unlike his father, Bronny has spent time developing between the Lakers and the G League, taking a much different route in the early stages of his career.

Still, Bronny doesn't appear interested in letting those comparisons define him. If anything, his comments at Media Day suggested that he's beginning to embrace the idea that his career doesn't have to look anything like his father's.

That's an important distinction for Bronny heading into his third season. With LeBron no longer in Los Angeles, he has a chance to build an identity that isn't constantly tied to his father's presence. Rather than trying to replicate LeBron's career, Bronny's focus seems to be on figuring out what kind of player he can become and learning from the veterans around him.

"I think for me, just the motivating factor of creating my own path and my own career just makes me want to get up every day and work hard and come to the gym to learn from guys that have been here longer than me," Bronny said.

"You guys know me as Bronny; my real name is LeBron," he continued. "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."

Lakers head coach JJ Redick has yet to reveal what role he has in store for the young James. Hopefully, Bronny's time in the G League has served him well to show what he's truly capable of this coming season.