LAS VEGAS – Los Angeles Lakers celebrity LeBron James addressed the franchise’s new teaching workers, together with head coach JJ Redick, roster strikes and the Lakers choosing his son, Bronny, within the second spherical of the NBA draft as USA Basketball’s males’s senior crew opened its coaching camp forward of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
James, going for his third Olympic gold medal, is a part of a star-studded roster that additionally options Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Jayson Tatum, Anthony Davis and Joel Embiid.
It was the primary time this offseason James has addressed these subjects with reporters.
“Clearly it’s a dream come true for me. … It’s all the time been a dream of his,” James mentioned of Bronny going No. 55 to the Lakers. “For us to be side-by-side, I’m at a lack of phrases. The child has labored so laborious to get up to now.”
LeBron talks about Bronny being drafted
Days after signing a four-year, $7.9 million rookie take care of the Lakers, Bronny made his NBA Summer season League debut on the California Basic Saturday. He had 4 factors on 2-for-9 capturing and two rebounds, two assists and one steal in 22 minutes.
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James was not capable of watch all of his son’s sport reside with USA Basketball’s coinciding apply.
“To have this occur lower than a yr from his incident, to be with our buddies and our household, once they introduced his identify, it was tremendous surreal,” James mentioned. “Our household nonetheless does not have sufficient phrases to clarify the sensation that we had. He’s such a fantastic child.”
Bronny, 19, performed one season at Southern California and determined to enter the NBA draft his freshman season. He sustained a sudden cardiac arrest a yr in the past and was identified with a congenital coronary heart defect. He had the defect repaired and was cleared to play for the Trojans and later cleared to play within the NBA by the league’s Health to Play panel.
“Trying ahead to see his development and him proceed to get higher and higher,” James mentioned. “As he continues to develop as a younger man, he has a lot room for enchancment. I am trying ahead to serving to him enhance, I do know the teaching workers helps him enhance and all people on the crew. So it will likely be enjoyable.”
James added: “What he does within the California Basic and Summer season League, it doesn’t matter if he performs nicely and it doesn’t matter if he doesn’t play nicely. I simply need him to proceed to develop. Practices, movie periods, his particular person exercises.
“You’ll be able to’t take something stat-wise from the California Basic and Summer season League and convey it as soon as the season begins. The one factor that issues is him getting higher and stacking days.”
Teaching workers additions
The Lakers employed Redick as head coach on June 24 after the crew had made a suggestion to UConn males’s coach Dan Hurley. Redick and James had a preferred podcast known as “Thoughts of the Sport” the place they broke down X’s and O’s in an entertaining and engaging method.
Former NBA head coaches Scott Brooks and Nate McMillan are Lakers assistant coaches.
“We’re enthusiastic about JJ. Excited to work with JJ and in addition Coach Brooks and Coach McMillan as nicely. These are two necessary items to the teaching workers,” James mentioned.
LeBron does not say a lot about roster strikes
Past drafting Bronny and Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht No. 17 within the first spherical, and D’Angelo Russell opting into the ultimate yr of his contract, the Lakers haven’t made main strikes to a roster that went 47-35 and misplaced within the first spherical of the Western Convention playoffs final season.
James known as Knecht his favourite faculty participant – save for Bronny – final season. “I watched his sport all through the postseason and similar to his skill to shoot the ball, his peak, his demeanor that he performed with. I all the time thought his sport translated to the NBA. I didn’t suppose he would fall to No. 17 in any respect.”
James declined to place championship aspirations on the crew – despite the fact that these are Lakers expectations.
“The expectations are for us to go to work daily,” James mentioned.