Despite going up by 13 in the first half versus the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, the Los Angeles Lakers imploded down the stretch and lost 127-113. Their 10th loss in the last 13 games dropped their record to 17-19, and the in-season tournament title almost a month ago seems a faint and distant memory.
LeBron James played well for much of Friday’s game, scoring 32 points and chipping in seven assists, five rebounds and five steals. But in the fourth quarter, he missed four free throws and committed two turnovers that led to five fast-break points for Memphis.
Afterward, James said something interesting about his son, Bronny James.
during ad’s availability, austin asked lebron about bronny’s game tomorrow and if he’d be starting. lebron said he thought it was time, and loudly said “he could play for us right now. easy. EASY.”
— claire de lune (@ClaireMPLS) January 6, 2024
The younger James is in his freshman season of college basketball at the University of Southern California. He has undergone a miraculous recovery from a cardiac arrest episode over the summer that threatened to derail his athletic career.
One has to wonder what the elder James meant by his comment. Was it a passive-aggressive dig at some of his teammates, or was he merely praising his son?
On Wednesday, the younger James had 10 points, three assists and a steal in a win over the University of California, Berkeley. Last Saturday, he had a very robust 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting in 20 minutes versus Oregon State University. Many believe he can be a first-round pick, possibly even a lottery pick, once he declares for the NBA draft.