By all stretches of the imagination, Bronny James is still a young buck who is finding his footing as a player at the NBA level. Despite some major changes over the summer, the Los Angeles Lakers indicated willingness to see that journey through, keeping the young guard around after his dad left.
That has made Bronny a vocal leader for the new Lakers locker room. It is an odd role for a player who is only 21 years old, and has yet to truly establish himself as a pro who will be in the league for the long haul. However, given all the roster turnover, James does have that voice, by his account.
Bronny told Mason & Ireland of ESPN Los Angeles: "It's crazy. I got a bigger voice in the gym right now, and it kind of feels weird."
There are, quite literally, only a couple of players who have been in Los Angeles longer than James has at this point. Austin Reaves has been with the franchise since 2021-22. Jarred Vanderbilt joined the Lakers midway through the 2022-23 season. Beyond that, Bronny is tied with Dalton Knecht as the hoopers who have been there the longest.
Oddly enough, to some capacity, this is a genuine hurdle for the Lakers to overcome.
Lakers' loudest locker room voice must go beyond tenured Bronny James
The Lakers have a lot of new faces and personalities who will try to come together for a pivotal 2026-27 season in Los Angeles. Someone will need to lead that cause from inside the locker room.
JJ Redick and his coaching staff will do their part, but that only goes so far. The Lakers will need their players to naturally assume leadership roles so there is a hierarchy that can form.
James might carry a little bit more sway within that locker room due to his extended time in Los Angeles, but are players really going to rally behind a 21-year-old guard who has only played 8.1 minutes per game in his 69 regular season appearances over two years with the Lakers?
Unlikely.
Thankfully for the team, most onlookers can see that Luka Doncic has already thrust himself into the role of head honcho among the Lakers. The trip to Slovenia was a great example of that. When your best players are also the loudest voices in the locker room, that is typically a great thing.
With veteran presences such as LeBron James and Marcus Smart both gone, the Lakers will need more support for Doncic, though. It is not that Bronny cannot be a part of that. He just shouldn't be a major component, by any means. Other guys need to leapfrog him.
Add us as a preferred source on Google