NBA Notes: Lakers, LeBron James, Bronny James, Spurs, Victor Wembanyama, Kings

Lakers

LeBron James and Bronny James took the court for the first time together in the Lakers’ preseason loss to the Suns, and as Dan Woike of the LA Times reported, LeBron used the phrase “pretty cool” to describe it six times.

“Not real,” LeBron said of taking the court with his son, the No. 55 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. “Still trying to get a little bit used to it, but pretty cool. It’s pretty cool for the both of us and especially for our family. It’s pretty cool.”

Lakers coach JJ Redick informed the team before the game that he intended to pair the James gang on the court, telling reporters that it would come within the flow of the game, s to not feel “gimmicky.”

It occurred on Bronny’s 20th birthday to boot.

“I was pretty psyched for that,” Bronny said, via Woike. “But I just got out there and it felt like a normal game with my teammate, to be honest.”

• Bronny added with a laugh: “I’m always thinking about ‘That’s my dad’ because that’s literally my dad. So I just go out there and, when I’m playing, he’s just my teammate. That’s all I’m thinking at that point.”
• He also said the hype surrounding the Lakers and playing with his dad can be a lot. “To be honest, I couldn’t tell you (how I stay even keel),” Bronny said. “I don’t know. There’s a lot of stuff going around. Just trying to focus on what my job is and what I’m supposed to be doing. I feel like that is the thing that keeps me grounded.”

Spurs

Cente Victor Wembanyama spent part of the offseason working on his ballhandling with former NBA guard Jamal Crawford, per Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News.

“It was my first time working for a long period of time with an actual retired NBA player,” Wembanyama said. “I learned a lot because the view he has of the game is different from a coach’s because he understands the player maybe more than any coaches I have worked with before. It was a great experience. I would do it again.”

• Wembanyama and veteran point guard Chris Paul were expected to sit out of San Antonio’s preseason opener on Monday night.

Kings

Shooting guard Kevin Huerter is a candidate to start again after working his way through a torn labrum that ended his season early in 2023-24, per Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. 

Huerter suggested his rehab has been coming along slowly but surely.

“The last step for me is really just getting 5-on-5 full contact,” he said. “I haven’t gone contact against a player yet. I haven’t been cleared to do that, but everything else. I’ve been 1-on-0 for four months now. … Itching to get back and go against somebody else.”

• Malik Monk and Keon Ellis are the other candidates to start at shooting guard, per Anderson. Point guard De’Aaron Fox, center Domantas Sabonis, power forward Keegan Murray and new small forward DeMar DeRozan are all but penciled in as the other four starters.