Bronny James: how he’s preparing for the 2026–27 season without LeBron and expectations for the games against the 76ers

Bronny James will play for the first time in his NBA career on a different team from his father for the 2026–27 season, and says he is excited about the new experience. He told reporters it is something different and that he can barely wait to see how the staff and teammates treat him without LeBron’s presence: “It’s something different, I’m hyped for the experience, to see how they treat me without him here and to see the teammates. I’m excited for the season.”

As Bleacher Report reports, he will spend Christmas Day with his father, when the Lakers host the Philadelphia 76ers. Before entering the NBA he averaged 4.8 points per game during one season at USC, and there were doubts that LeBron’s presence at the club influenced the Lakers’ decision to pick him in the second round of the 2024 draft.

Bronny has been a role player for the Lakers during his first two seasons but has shown improvement. He raised his scoring average from 2.3 to 2.9, assists from 0.8 to 1.2 and steals from 0.3 to 0.5 per game. His efficiency improved markedly, with field-goal percentage going from 31.3% to 40.9% and three-pointers from 28.1% to 38.6%. During the first-round wins over the Houston Rockets he had significant minutes and scored five points in Game 3 and Game 4. As he himself stated: “I’ll go in like I was against the Rockets in last year’s playoffs again — aggressive, playing smart and doing what the team needs.”

These improvements and the playoff experience are expected to give Bronny confidence even without his father’s presence on the court, a dynamic that will be closely watched during the coming season. Bleacher Report notes that recent developments may underline his independence as a player and could serve as a basis for the next step in his career.