O’Shea Jackson Jr. urges Lakers to keep Bronny James after personal admission

With LeBron James no longer on the Los Angeles Lakers , Bronny James faces a different kind of test. He remains with the team, but the question of what he can build without his father beside him now sits squarely in front of him. O'Shea Jackson Jr. already knows where he stands.

"Keep him @Lakers," Jackson wrote on X in response to a post sharing Bronny's comments about forging his own identity.

Bronny spoke to Spectrum SportsNet at Lakers Media Day about playing without his father. He sounded eager to find out what changes, including how people around the team interact with him.

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"I'm excited for the experience, to experience something different, him not being here," Bronny said. "[Excited] to see how the staff treats me without him being there, and all my teammates and stuff like that."

Bronny James wants to prove himself on his own terms

In the post Jackson shared, Bronny put the distinction between his name and his identity more plainly. "You guys know me as Bronny, my real name is LeBron," he said. "I've been doing this for however long so I think it's a motivating factor for me just getting up every day and trying to prove myself as Bronny instead of LeBron."

That ambition has followed him since the Lakers selected him with the 55th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. The selection drew scrutiny that most players chosen so late would never encounter. His father's departure does not erase that debate, but it gives Bronny a chance to answer it through his own work.

Jackson's message was brief. In two words, though, he made clear that he wants the Lakers to give Bronny that chance in Los Angeles .