Is Bronny James playing vs Warriors? Latest on Lakers rookie's status for California Classic (July 7)

Bronny James, the son of NBA superstar LeBron James, made his highly anticipated preseason debut for the LA Lakers on Saturday at the Chase Center in San Francisco. He is set to play his second game on Sunday night when the Lakers face the Golden State Warriors in a game that begins at 6:30 p.m. EST.

It ended up being a slow start to Bronny's career with the Lakers, but the 19-year-old would have been both excited and relieved to record his first basket in the second quarter of Saturday's game. He finished the night with 4 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and shot 2-9 from the field. The Lakers eventually fell to a 108-94 loss to the Sacramento Kings.

Sunday's matchup against the Warriors offers Bronny James the opportunity to acclimatize himself on the big stage and will provide him a chance to earn some valuable minutes against high-level competition.

Bronny was a top prospect coming out of high school but played limited minutes at the collegiate level after suffering cardiac arrest in 2023. He averaged 4.8 points, 2.1 assists and 2.8 rebounds over 25 games with the USC Trojans in his freshman season.

The LA Lakers selected James with the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft. Newly-appointed head coach JJ Redick has made it clear that the organization plans to develop the guard in the coming years. Shortly after being drafted, Bronny was signed to a four-year, $7.9 million deal, and approximately $4.37 million of that is guaranteed, per Sportrac.

Bronny James is set to make history when he plays alongside his father LeBron James Lakers next season

The LA Lakers' decision to draft and sign Bronny James to a long-term deal was followed soon after with news that LeBron James would be returning for a seventh season with the organization. The two are set to become the first father-son duo in NBA history.

During the offseason, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka talked up the possibility of Bronny James featuring alongside his father in the 2024/25 season.

"In the history of the NBA there has never been a father and son that have shared an NBA basketball court. That feels like something that could be magical," said Pelinka.

It remains unclear whether Bronny will be a staple in the Lakers roster next year. He has, however, now played his first game in the purple and gold and a weight will be lifted after his first couple of baskets.

The California Classic and Summer League will allow Bronny to develop his game and prove to JJ Redick and the critics that he is capable of competing at the highest level next season.