Bronny James did not play in the Los Angeles Lakers’ California Classic summer league game on Sunday because of minor swelling in his left knee, according to ESPN’s Kendra Andrews.
The rookie, who made his team debut Saturday against the Sacramento Kings at Chase Center in San Francisco, sat out Sunday as a precaution. He is scheduled to play in the tournament finale on Wednesday against the Miami Heat.
James played 21 minutes in the Lakers’ 108-94 loss to the Kings on Saturday. He had four points and two rebounds but was 2-of-9 from the field and 0-of-3 on 3-pointers.
“He’s got to keep learning, keep practicing and keep learning what he’s capable of,” Lakers summer league coach Dane Johnson said after Saturday’s game, via ESPN. “His body, if he has a slight advantage over somebody, he can use his shoulder to get downhill, and we’re just going to build that confidence in him.”
James was selected by the Lakers with the 55th overall pick in the NBA Draft last month. After playing one season at the University of Southern California, he played mostly off the bench for the Trojans, averaging 4.8 points and 2.8 rebounds. The eldest son of LeBron James, James, later signed a four-year, $7.9 million contract with the team. If they take the court together in a game this fall, they will be the first father-son duo in league history. LeBron is currently training with Team USA in Las Vegas ahead of the Paris Olympics.
The Warriors had no trouble dominating the Lakers on Sunday afternoon, winning 92-68 behind Ethan Thompson’s 22 points and 11 rebounds. Dalton Knecht led the Lakers with 12 points despite shooting just 3-of-13 from the field.
After the San Francisco games, James and the Lakers will travel to Las Vegas for more Summer League action, kicking off the tournament on July 12 against the Houston Rockets at the Thomas & Mack Center.
