Is LeBron James Hurting Bronny’s Growth by Keeping Him Close with the Lakers?

After appearing in six games for the Los Angeles Lakers to start the season, Bronny James was assigned to the G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers. He made his debut there last week as he finished with six points, three rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a block in 31 minutes of action. Even though that wasn’t the most inspiring stat line, the fact that the young rookie was getting developmental reps and playing a ton of minutes was encouraging.

However, the Lakers are reportedly making a shocking decision about Bronny that will almost certainly hinder his development. Per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the 55th-overall pick is only going to play in South Bay’s home games.

NBA News: Bronny James Only Playing In G League Home Games

This means that Bronny is going to be a part-time player, only playing in half of his team’s games. This will hurt his chemistry with the team and make it harder for him to build rapport with his teammates.

One of the reasons Windhorst stated in his reporting is that they don’t want Bronny to get on the standard United Airlines flights to go to these away games. How is he supposed to feel like part of a team and develop as an actual basketball player if he is not treated like one?

Even if the flights are an issue, there are surely other ways to get Bronny to these games. Being willing to sacrifice valuable playing time and developmental reps because of travel is absurd.

The Los Angeles Lakers owe it to Bronny to give him a chance to show what he can do as a basketball player. He needs to be able to carve out a career for himself outside the shadow of his father. This special treatment is certainly not letting him do that.