Bronny James gets second career start for Lakers vs. Short-handed Bucks

With LeBron James and other players still out, the Los Angeles Lakers will start LeBron James Jr.

Bronny James is in the starting lineup for Los Angeles’ game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, along with Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia. It’s the second start of young James’ NBA career and his first of the season.

Announcement

James’ only other career start was in the Lakers’ regular season finale last season, a game in which they had nothing to play for with the No. 3 seed in the West already sewn up. In his 38 minutes, James scored 4 points on 2-of-10 shooting, 6 assists, 4 steals, 3 rebounds and 3 turnovers in a 109-81 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.

So this is basically the first time James has started a game that matters for the Lakers.

This season, Bronny came off the bench eight times and posted 2.3 points and 1.9 assists in 12.1 minutes per game. He is shooting 29.2% from the field and 25% from 3-point range.

Announcement

It’s not often you see players with those high stats in the starting lineup, but the Lakers are under James’ father as well as Marcus Smart, Gabe Vincent and Rui Hachimura, who have all started this season.

Smart and Hachimura both started the Lakers’ previous game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, but are out for the return of back-to-back games with an illness and a calf injury, respectively.