Tag: playing

Bronny James says he can handle playing with dad, Lakers

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Los Angeles Lakers draft pick Bronny James, left, and his father, LeBron James, share a light moment as they arrive for the NBA basketball team’s news conference in El Segundo, Calif., Tuesday, July 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

EL SEGUNDO, California — Bronny James says the opportunity to play professionally alongside his famous father played no role in his decision to enter the NBA draft.

Now that the 19-year-old son of LeBron James has been selected by the Los Angeles Lakers anyway, Bronny says he can still handle all the extra attention and pressure while the James family makes basketball history.

“I’m … trying to get my name out for myself,” Bronny said Tuesday. “I just want to come in and get my work in and get better every day. I never really had a thought of me going to play with my dad. That’s always there to take part of, but it wasn’t a main focus of mine.”

The Lakers formally introduced Bronny James and their first-round pick, Tennessee wing Dalton Knecht, in a news conference at their training complex. Los Angeles selected Bronny with the 55th overall pick last week, creating the potential for an NBA first.

No father and son have ever played in the league at the same time, let alone on the same team.

READ: NBA: Bronny James ready for pressure after ‘surreal’ Lakers move

“It’s for sure amplified the amount of pressure,” Bronny James said. “I’ve already seen it in (social) media and on the internet and stuff talking about (how) I might not deserve an opportunity. But I’ve been dealing with stuff like this for my whole life. It’s nothing different. It’s more amplified for sure, but I can get through it.”

Bronny reiterated that he didn’t jump to the NBA just because his 39-year-old father is still an active player, acknowledging he didn’t necessarily share his father’s oft-stated dream of playing in the league together. Bronny also knew he couldn’t control where he was drafted, despite what he’s read on social media recently about the Lakers’ pick being a nepotistic effort to keep LeBron James with the Lakers for the rest of his career.

Bronny James is the oldest son of the NBA’s career scoring leader. LeBron James has spent the past six seasons with the Lakers, and he is all but certain to return to the team even though he is currently a free agent after declining his $51.4 million player option for next season.

LeBron James quietly watched his son’s introductory news conference from the back of the Lakers’ gym at their training complex.

Bronny said he’s better prepared for the challenges ahead of him because of “stuff that (LeBron) has been telling me my whole life. Just having that work ethic, and coming in and getting your work in, and listening to your coaches and being coachable, stuff like that he’s driven into my head my whole life.”

READ: NBA: Bronny James to wear No. 9 jersey with Lakers

Bronny James deftly answered questions about everything he’ll face after jumping straight to the NBA from one short season of college basketball. He played inconsistently last winter at USC after recovering from a frightening cardiac event in July 2023.

“The time that I had off, I feel like I could have been perfecting my game more,” Bronny said. “I just feel like I’ve been given the opportunity to showcase what I can really do, because I wasn’t given that much of an opportunity at SC. So I’m excited for what it’s going to be.”

Rather than spending another year in college, Bronny said he expects to improve his game in the Lakers’ player development system being set up under new coach JJ Redick, who emphasized the necessity of developing talent from within the organization after general manager Rob Pelinka hired him last month.

“Rob and I did not give Bronny anything,” Redick said. “Bronny has earned this through hard work. For us, prioritizing player development, we view Bronny as Case Study 1, because his base level of feel, athleticism, point-of-attack defender, shooting, passing, there’s a lot to like about his game. As we build out our player development program holistically, he’s going to have the opportunity to be an excellent NBA player.”



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Bronny James and Knecht both expect to play for the Lakers’ summer league teams in Sacramento and Las Vegas this month.

LeBron and Bronny James are likely to join a short list of fathers and sons who have played together in North American professional sports. Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. played together with the Seattle Mariners during parts of the 1990 and 1991 MLB seasons, while hockey great Gordie Howe played with his sons Marty and Mark with the WHA’s Houston Aeros and the NHL’s Hartford Whalers.

Ronaldo says he is playing his ‘last European Championship’

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Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo is seen after the win against Slovenia during a round of sixteen match between Portugal and Slovenia at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Frankfurt, Germany, Monday, July 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

HAMBURG, Germany — Cristiano Ronaldo has confirmed this year’s European Championship will be the last of his career.

The Portugal superstar, who is 39, is playing at the Euros for a record sixth time and has helped his country reach the quarterfinals — where Kylian Mbappé and France await in Hamburg on Friday.

Speaking to Portuguese public broadcaster RTP after the penalty-shootout victory over Slovenia on Monday, Ronaldo said: “It is, without doubt, my last European Championship.

READ: Portugal beats Slovenia at Euro 2024 despite Ronaldo penalty miss

“But I’m not emotional about that. I’m moved by all that football means — by the enthusiasm I have for the game, the enthusiasm for seeing my supporters, my family, the affection people have for me.”

Ronaldo, who is one of the most prolific scorers in soccer history and has a record 14 goals at European Championships, said his main motivation now was “making people happy.” He was reduced to tears during the Slovenia game after having a penalty saved in extra time.

“It’s not about leaving the world of football,” he said. “What else is there for me to do or win? It’s not going to come down to one point more or one point less.”



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NBA’s Warriors blocking Wiggins from playing in Paris Olympics

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FILE – Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins works against the Orlando Magic during the second half of an NBA basketball game, March 27, 2024. (AP Photo/John Raoux, FILE)

TORONTO — Canadian Olympic basketball team general manager Rowan Barrett said Friday that Golden State is blocking Andrew Wiggins from competing in Paris, while the Warriors countered it was a mutual decision between the team and Wiggins.

Wiggins was among the 20 players who received invitations to camp to determine the Olympic team.

“For us, Andrew was fine,” Barrett said. “We were talking to him consistently, he’s been training for weeks and weeks getting ready for this. And then I got a call from Golden State a day or two before camp saying that they’re holding him out.

READ; Warriors unsure if Andrew Wiggins, out for personal reasons, will return

“So, from what I see, this is not an Andrew decision, this is from the team. And so, he won’t be with us.”

The Warriors told The Associated Press on Friday night that it was a mutual decision between the team and Wiggins.

The 10-year NBA veteran last played for Canada in an Olympic qualifying tournament in 2021.

“I’m disappointed for him,” Barrett said. “He’s gone through a lot the last couple of years and then, obviously, his mother was an Olympian and this is something he’s looking forward to and working toward and really on the uphill climb it seemed like in everything.



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Bolts will now know feeling of playing as the hunted

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Meralco Bolts. Photo: PBA Images

Now that the long chase for a first-ever PBA championship has finally been fulfilled, the Meralco Bolts will come into the next season with a different role.

From hunters, the Bolts acknowledged that they’ll go into the league’s 49th season as the hunted.

“The next conference will test us as we will have a bull’s-eye on our chest,” coach Luigi Trillo said when asked by the Inquirer of the Bolts’ outlook going into the season-opening Governors’ Cup in August.

Meralco pulled off one of the most memorable title runs in recent history, defying previous heartbreaks to defeat San Miguel Beer and win the prestigious Philippine Cup title with Sunday’s 80-78 Game 6 win at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Under the combined stewardship of Trillo and active consultant Nenad Vucinic, the Bolts overcame the danger of missing a playoff berth to becoming just the third team outside of the Beermen, Barangay Ginebra and TNT Tropang Giga to win a title since the 2014-15 season.

During that span, San Miguel won 10 titles, Ginebra claimed seven and TNT bagged three. Two teams had one each in Rain or Shine (2016 Commissioner’s Cup) and Magnolia (2018 Governors’ Cup).

San Miguel, Ginebra and Magnolia, which in the same period has appeared in five Finals only to fall short four times, are seen as among those figuring prominently in the title picture next season, while TNT will be aiming to get itself in the discussion after an otherwise underwhelming 2023-24 campaign that saw two quarterfinal exits.

Meanwhile, the Bolts have started savoring their well-deserved break, though the offseason is also a time to address the need to pick well in the July Rookie Draft and getting a dependable import.

The 2024-25 season will open in August with the Governors’ Cup, which will see teams tap imports that are 6-foot-6 and below coupled with a format that divides the 12 teams into two groups.

Return of AD?

Trillo bared that Meralco is looking at bringing back Allen Durham, who won three Best Imports awards after powering the Bolts to Finals appearances in the 2016, 2018 and 2019 Governors’ Cup but has been playing the past few seasons in Japan’s B.League.

Initial talks have been “good,” said Trillo, but Durham, who last played for the Ryukyu Golden Kings, is also attracting offers from other B.League teams.

“I’ve spoken with coach Nenad and [Meralco team manager and brother Paolo Trillo] and [we] would love to have AD join us. We have to come to terms with his agent,” said Trillo.

If negotiations with Durham don’t pan out, the Bolts may look at potential reinforcements elsewhere like in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Regardless of who they eventually sign, the Bolts hope that he turns out to be the guy who could put them in a position to once again march back into center court and lift another trophy.



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“We have to really lock in and have a good two weeks of preseason training before we get on the court again,” Trillo said.