El Segundo, California – Bronny James is dealing with a bruised left heel and is now listed as doubtful for the Los Angeles Lakers’ upcoming game against the Utah Jazz on Tuesday evening.
The Lakers had not previously revealed any details regarding the injury affecting the 20-year-old son of LeBron James before including him on their injury report released on Monday.
Since the South Bay Lakers’ season kicked off earlier this month, Bronny James has been playing for both the Lakers and their G League affiliate. In five NBA games, he has accumulated a total of 16 minutes of playtime, scoring four points, while he has been more active in two G League contests.
In a recent G League matchup against Stockton on Sunday night, Bronny started and logged 25 minutes on the court, scoring four points on a shooting performance of 2-for-10.
He had a more promising start in South Bay’s season opener a week earlier, where he managed to score six points while playing before his parents, who were present at the Lakers’ training facility.
Last month, LeBron and Bronny made history in the NBA as the first father-son duo to compete in the league simultaneously, even on the same team. However, they have yet to play together since Bronny’s minutes in the NBA have largely been limited to blowout scenarios.
The Lakers (9-4) have been enjoying a strong season thus far, clinching five consecutive victories and maintaining a flawless 6-0 record at home. LeBron is proving to be a dominant force in his historic 22nd season, achieving four consecutive triple-doubles before that streak came to a halt in the Lakers’ recent win over New Orleans last Saturday.
Additionally, the Lakers may also have to contend without starting forward Rui Hachimura, who has been sidelined due to an ankle injury, having missed the last two games.
Coach JJ Redick mentioned that Hachimura did not participate in practice on Monday but noted, “he’s making a lot of progress.” The team remains optimistic about his potential return to practice this week during their homestand featuring three games.