Bronny James is ready to begin his Lakers career in preseason

PALM DESERT, Calif. (AP) — Bronny James is expected to play in his first NBA preseason game Friday night the Lakers Los Angeles hosts Minnesota in the first of two weekend games in the Coachella Valley.

LeBron James isn’t expected to play with his eldest son against the Timberwolves, but the 39-year-old superstar will likely play against Phoenix on Sunday – which happens to be Bronny’s 20th birthday.

The Lakers made no announcement before the game, but ESPN reported that LeBron will not play against Minnesota as he slowly returns to competition after a tiring summer. LeBron and Anthony Davis were both part of the U.S. team that won a gold medal at the Paris Olympics.

Lakers coach JJ Redick said Thursday both LeBron James and Davis will play at least one game this weekend.

Bronny James was the Lakers’ second-round draft pick and played for the team in summer league competition in Las Vegas. The 6-foot-2 guard is expected to play for the Lakers in the preseason before spending much of the upcoming season with the G League’s South Bay Lakers.

“Of course the nerves are there,” Bronny said after the Lakers’ pregame shootout. “But I’m just excited to go out there and learn from the people that play in front of me, and if I get the chance to show what I can do, I’ll do that.”

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