SNL Weekend Update somehow made a Bronny James joke about Donald Trump’s win

We promise, it makes actual sense.

Of course the Weekend Update segment on Saturday Night Live this week — hosted by Bill Burr — was going to deal with the 2024 presidential election, as the cold open did.

And wouldn’t you know it? There was a sports joke woven in about it.

Here’s what Michael Che said: “Clearly, I’ve been spending too much time with you white liberals and your goofy optimism. It wasn’t even close. At one point, [Donald] Trump was so far ahead, they put in Bronny [James].”

A clear reference to a blowout victory that would feature Bronny getting put in because the Los Angeles Lakers game would be out of reach.

Watch below, around the 1:04-minute mark:

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How to buy South Bay Lakers G League tickets, watch Bronny James in person

Limited tickets are still available to see Bronny James in his expected G League debut on Saturday, Nov. 9 when the South Bay Lakers host the Salt Lake City Stars.

Bronny James is headed to the G League…for the moment.

After starting the season on the Los Angeles Lakers roster, and even getting some minutes with his dad in the opening game of the year, James will reportedly be shuffling back and forth between the NBA and the South Bay Lakers.

This presents an opportunity to watch Bronny James in person, and while they are selling fast, limited South Bay Lakers tickets are still available.

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South Bay Lakers tickets

James is expected to make his debut on Saturday when the Lakers host the Salt Lake City Stars.

According to Shams Charania, James will only play in home games for the South Bay Lakers.

Saturday’s game is sold out, but limited tickets are still available from resale markets, and as of publication the cheapest ticket costs $192.

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South Bay Lakers upcoming schedule

Saturday, Nov. 9: SB Lakers vs. Salt Lake City Stars – BUY TICKETS

Sunday, Nov. 17: SB Lakers vs. Stockton Kings – BUY TICKETS

Sunday, Nov. 24: SB Lakers vs. Stockton Kings – BUY TICKETS

Tuesday, Nov. 26: SB Lakers vs. San Diego Clippers – BUY TICKETS

Wednesday, Nov. 27: SB Lakers vs. Rip City Remix – BUY TICKETS

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Why did the Lakers send Bronny James to the G League? Here’s the answer.

This is why you won’t see Bronny with the Lakers.

Los Angeles Lakers rookie guard Bronny James will suit up in the G League for the South Bay Lakers, which was not unexpected.

After sharing the court with his father LeBron on Opening Night and then later scoring his first basket in the NBA, the 20-year-old will also play in the developmental league with the Lakers’ G League affiliate.

It is the correct decision for everyone involved and even has fans excited to check out the South Bay Lakers as his first game is already sold out. But why is the first-year pro no longer playing alongside his father?

BRONNY JAMES: Sending him to the G League is the right move for the Lakers and for him

Bronny will reportedly only play in home games for the South Bay Lakers, alternating his time between the G League and the NBA.

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While this isn’t necessarily the most logical path for Bronny to split time between the two rosters, his experience with South Bay will have tons of value.

It isn’t uncommon for a second-round pick to predominantly play in the G League, especially for someone who is as young as Bronny who did not get a surplus of collegiate experience in the NCAA.

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Bronny James selling out his G League debut is his most impressive accomplishment yet

Bronny James is growing the game in the G League!

Los Angeles Lakers rookie guard Bronny James will play in the G League for the South Bay Lakers, which is the correct decision for all involved.

This is not a punishment but rather the right path for a young player who only recently turned 20 years old and did not have extensive success in the NCAA.

The opportunity to play in the G League is a fantastic chance for a young prospect to develop their game, and it is where most second-round picks with his level of experience begin their professional careers. There is nothing very unusual about a rookie spending time outside of the NBA.

BRONNY JAMES: Sending him to the G League is the right move for the Lakers and for him

What is far more unusual, though, is for a sellout crowd to watch teams play in the G League.

But when the former USC guard makes his debut for South Bay, that is exactly what he will expect as the team announced a capacity attendance with tickets being re-sold for as much as $271 to sit courtside.

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South Bay ranked last in attendance the season before last, drawing an average crowd of 441 fans per game. The venue has a small capacity of less than 1,000 people, for what it is worth, but drawing any interest to the Lakers G League affiliate is no easy task.

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JJ Redick criticized D’Angelo Russell for lacking competitiveness and attention to detail

This could be a BIG issue for the Lakers.

During a Los Angeles Lakers loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, head coach JJ Redick played starting guard D’Angelo Russell for limited minutes.

After the game during his media availability, Redick was not shy about why he made the decision. According to the first-year head coach, he did not see a level to “compete” and an “attention to detail” from Russell when he was on the court against Memphis.

Redick added that he has spoken to Russell about this for the past few weeks and noted that while the guard has been “really good” about this at times, he fell short and reverted to “old habits” versus the Grizzlies.

According to Redick, it wasn’t a “punishment” but rather an attempt to win the game.

Lakers guard Gabe Vincent replaced Russell after this defensive mishap in the third quarter:

It is worth noting that Vincent did not play particularly well either, finishing with 6 points (2-of-8 FG) and 2 turnovers and the second-lowest plus-minus of any player on the team.

After a strong start to the season the Lakers (4-4) are now at .500 and have not looked as sharp of late. They will have a chance to bounce back against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday evening.

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Dalton Knecht returns to Tennessee and makes first start

Dalton Knecht makes first professional start in return to Tennessee.

In his return to Tennessee, former Vol Dalton Knecht made his first NBA start for the Lakers.

He totaled three points, four rebounds, two assists and one steal in the Lakers,’ 131-114, loss to Memphis at FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee.

Knecht played 27 minutes against the Grizzlies. He converted 1-of-7 three-point attempts.

He was selected in the first-round of the 2024 NBA draft (No. 17 overall) by Los Angeles.

Knecht, a transfer from Northern Colorado, played for the Vols during the 2023-24 season under head coach Rick Barnes. During his one season at Tennessee, he averaged 21.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.

He led the Vols to a SEC regular-season championship and an appearance in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history.

Knecht was the 2024 SEC Player and SEC Newcomer of the Year. He was a consensus All-America standout and earned the Julius Erving Award.

PHOTOS: Dalton Knecht through the years

Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

LeBron James posted a heartfelt message to his daughter after the presidential election

LeBron spoke with love about his daughter.

As the entire NBA took Tuesday off for Election Day in the United States and the results poured in, it took time for many folks to digest the news.

Even though sports is likely not on the mind of many Americans today after such an impactful political decision, the gravity of the results will certainly impact virtually everyone in America. That includes four-time NBA Finals MVP and Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, who expressed his thoughts on social media after the election.

It isn’t easy to have the right words to say right now, but James immediately thought of his 10-year-old daughter Zhuri.

ELECTION RESULTS: It’s hard to write about sports today.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DCCXdTjuoTh/?hl=en

Here is what James wrote on Instagram:

“HEAVY ON MY HEART & MIND THIS AM MY PRINCESS 👸🏾!! PROMISE TO PROTECT YOU WITH EVERYTHING I HAVE AND MORE!! WE DONT NEED THEIR HELP!”

James had a similar reaction when Donald Trump won the U.S. Presidential Election in 2016.

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What’s up with Bronny James keeping the nets after his first NBA basket? A brief debate.

What did you think of Cleveland cutting down the nets for Bronny?

Los Angeles Lakers rookie guard Bronny James scored his first career NBA basket during a road game against his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers.

It was a blowout loss for the Lakers against the Cavs, where LeBron James spent two different chapters of his NBA career. The most memorable moment of the game was when Bronny finally earned his first regular-season basket.

While it was an awesome accomplishment for Bronny, there was a surprising decision made after the game. The Cavaliers gave the rookie the net that was used on his first regular-season basket, which is a gesture usually reserved for when teams win the championships.

This was a special moment for Bronny, who basically grew up in that arena when his father played for the team. He may not get many opportunities for scoring much more soon, either, as he will soon play in the G League.

So we asked our staff what they thought of this decision by Cleveland.

What was your initial reaction when you saw this?

Michael D. Sykes: This was a pretty nice gesture from the Cavs, but it’s also kind of funny. Did someone just win a championship, or????

Prince Grimes: LOL

Blake Schuster: To laugh at the treatment given to a player that no one else would have ever gotten.

Robert Zeglinski: A cackle followed by a requisite eye roll.

Bryan Kalbrosky: I was frankly glad to see that someone has finally dethroned UConn as men’s back-to-back national champions!

What should Cleveland have done?

Michael D. Sykes: Nothing! The crowd had already given him an ovation and cheered for his first points. I think that’s more than enough for Bronny. He felt the love, I’m sure.

Prince Grimes: I didn’t have a problem with the net-cutting, only because it was Cleveland. Otherwise, I would say nothing. It was only funny because my brain associates net-cutting with winning a championship.

Blake Schuster: Look, I’m not trying to be a hater. It’s really cool that Bronny did this in Cleveland and even cooler that the crowd reacted the way it did. But cutting down the nets after a blowout loss is pretty cringe. Give Bronny a game ball in the locker room. Let LeBron hand it to him. Make it a moment, but let’s also stay in the right lane here.

Robert Zeglinski: The Cavaliers have a lifelong debt to LeBron James (for spurning them, then coming back) so they should actually grovel every chance they get. Abandon all concepts of self-respect.

Bryan Kalbrosky: They probably workshopped retiring his jersey and putting a statue of him next to the one they will eventually build out for LeBron, but I’m glad they realized that was a step too far.

What is a milestone for Bronny that deserves a red carpet?

Michael D. Sykes: He’ll be in the G League soon. So if he can actually get people to tune into G League games, feel free to give him another pat on the back.

Prince Grimes: The Lakers should do a whole Jumbotron presentation of his garbage time highlights on the night he gets his first start.

Blake Schuster: When he drops 50, he can cut down the nets for sure.

Robert Zeglinski: Plays any (read: absolutely any) non-garbage time minutes. Make him an MVP candidate for it.

Bryan Kalbrosky: They ought to do this for him at every arena if he scores. That doesn’t just include the NBA, by the way. When he is suiting up for the South Bay Lakers in the G League and goes 1-for-6 against the Sioux Falls Skyforce, he deserves that net as well. That is the G League affiliate for the Miami Heat, where LeBron won championships as well. It makes sense.

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LeBron James hilariously didn’t react to Bronny James’ first NBA basket

Bronny James finally got his first NBA basket. Did LeBron James miss it?

Los Angeles Lakers rookie guard Bronny James scored his first NBA basket on the road against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night.

However, his dad, Lakers superstar LeBron James, might not have seen it or didn’t have much of a reaction to it when it happened.

It was a tough night for the Lakers, as Bronny James played in the game late as Los Angeles trailed Cleveland by double digits and LeBron James was on the sideline.

We’re not sure if LeBron James just missed the moment when it happened or if he was just so bummed about how the game was going. It’s probably a coincidence, but a funny one at that.

No matter what, we’re sure LeBron James loved to see Bronny James finally get his first points. It’s also really cool Bronny James got his first NBA points in Cleveland, where his dad’s career started.

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USC football, Dodgers and Lakers win on same day for first time ever

When the NBA moved up the start date of its regular season several years ago, the Dodgers and Lakers were able to play on the same day as USC. History finally happened in LA.

The USC football team, powered by quarterback Miller Moss and running back Woody Marks, beat Rutgers late Friday night, with the game going final just before midnight in Los Angeles. Hours earlier, the Lakers came from 19 points down to beat the Phoenix Suns. One hour before the Lakers closed down their comeback victory, the Dodgers won Game 1 of the 2024 World Series on Freddie Freeman’s epic grand slam home run in the bottom of the 10th inning, the first walk-off grand slam in the 121-year history of the World Series.

Believe it or not, this is the first time ever that USC football, the Lakers, and the Dodgers have all won a game on the same day.

Obviously, the Lakers and Dodgers have won many times on the same day, from April through June. Also, USC and the Lakers have won plenty of times on the same day. Any Saturday November win for the Lakers has been accompanied by a USC football win plenty of times since the Lakers moved to Los Angeles several decades ago. The trick has been for all three teams to play and win on the same day.

We have to remember that the NBA regular season used to start in November, preventing the Dodgers from being able to win on the same day as the Lakers. In 1988, when the Dodgers won the World Series and USC had a very good football team, the World Series ended two weeks before the NBA season began. The Dodgers and Lakers weren’t able to share the stage to complete the trifecta. When the NBA pushed up the start date of its season to mid-October, then the Dodgers and Lakers gained a chance to play on the same day. Recently, from 2017 through 2020, the Dodgers played in the World Series (in three of those four years). They finally got the chance to win on the same day as the Lakers and USC, but it didn’t happen then. Friday finally gave us the first such instance in which three cherished Los Angeles teams all won on the same day.

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