Bronny James heard MVP chants as he stepped up to the free-throw line late in the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ 134-96 win over the Wizards on Friday.
How sincere those chants are is up for interpretation.
The 20-year-old James heard the chants as he shot from the charity stripe with a little more than five seconds on the clock in the fourth quarter.
Bronny got MVP chants at the line 🤞 (via @NBA)
— Overtime (@overtime) January 31, 2025
pic.twitter.com/gLJQhZvmJn
The clips from the broadcast that went viral online made it hard to tell if the chants were coming from Wizards fans or if they were from Lakers fans who were traveling to see their team.
The son of LeBron James finished Thursday’s win shooting 1-for-6 from the floor and hitting three shots from the free-throw line.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) smiles after the team scores against the Washington Wizards during the second half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, in Washington. APHe recorded five points. two rebounds, two assists and a steal.
Thursday was the second consecutive game in which James played extended minutes.
He had 15 minutes on Tuesday and 12 minutes on the floor in D.C.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) makes a free throw against the Washington Wizards in the fourth quarter at Capital One Arena. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con“Obviously, it’s his first extensive minutes with us,” LeBron James told reporters earlier in the week about his son. “We had that first game where it was just a moment … and that was a great moment. But tonight was his first opportunity to be with the big guys, be with the big club, and he’s going to continue to use that and get better and better.”
The effort on Thursday was an improvement over his performance on Tuesday when he shot 0-for-5 and turned the ball over three times.
Lakers coach JJ Redick said he might have put the younger James in a bad spot after Tuesday’s game.
of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Justin Champagnie (9) drives to the basket as Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) defends in the fourth quarter at Capital One Arena. Geoff Burke-Imagn Images“Maybe put him in a tough spot,” Redick said. “Flying up yesterday, nationally televised game in Philly and all that stuff. He didn’t play well, but he’s been playing great in the stay-ready games, and he’s been playing great in the G [League].”
