"Bronny James should've been there" - Dan Patrick criticizes Bronny James for not attending Luka Doncic's press conference
LeBron James' absence during Luka Doncic's contract extension press conference raised some eyebrows because a handful of the Lakers were there to throw in their support for Doncic.
Veteran podcaster Dan Patrick said that LeBron's on vacation and he face-timed Luka, so given his stature, his absence was excusable. However, while Patrick had no question with LeBron's absence, he was critical about his son Bronny's no-show during an event where most of the Lakers were present.
"The one person who I thought should've been there was his son. Bronny James, if he wants to stay longer after LeBron leaves, that's your teammate. That's what was surprising. Bronny James should've been there. You're the last guy on the roster. You should be there," said Patrick.
Most players on the Lakers showed up to show support Luka
Doncic signed a three-year $165 million contract extension with the Lakers this past weekend, and after he did, eight of his teammates plus head coach JJ Redick posed with him as he held his Lakers No. 77 jersey after his press conference at the UCLA Health Training Center where the Lakers practice.
And then, when new team owner Mark Walter flew Luka to Las Vegas afterwards to watch the Backstreet Boys at The Sphere, six of them tagged along and enjoyed the night with their franchise player. Although it was not an official team activity, it was a good opportunity to build chemistry and camaraderie.
"It just felt like 'Hey, my dad's LeBron. We got a vacation.' I mean, that's where you say, 'Dad, that's my team. That's my teammate.' I know it's not a big deal, but with LeBron, it's always a big deal. Everything becomes a bigger deal because he was not there. Bronny should've been there. 'Dad, I'm gonna cut short this vacation. I need to be there. I think it's really important.' If that's my son and he said that, I'd be like, 'Alright, son, you're right. You should be there.' But if LeBron face-timed Luka, Luka's fine with that, I don't think there's no acrimony there. But I think it's awkward," Patrick concluded.
It's a big deal because he's LeBron's son
LeBron face-timing Luka to congratulate him isn't as awkward as Patrick thinks. The guy is on vacation, and that's the best thing he could have done because he's obviously not in Los Angeles. But Bronny being with his dad rather than his teammates is certainly perplexing because, as Dan said, if he wants to remain a Laker when his dad retires, he needs to be one of the guys.
To Bronny's credit, however, his draft batchmate Dalton Knecht wasn't there either. Likewise, Austin Reaves was also conspicuously absent, although it was already previously announced that he was going on a four-country, five-city Asian Tour for his shoe sponsor Rigorer from August 2-13, 2025. That sounds excusable, too. But Bronny golfing with his dad? DP doesn't think so.
To give LeBon Jr. the benefit of the doubt, let's say that the "James Gang" already planned their vacation in advance. And who would not approve of a wholesome father and son bonding moment like that, where they were playing golf together? However, as a member of a team, Bronny has responsibilities. If players as high-profile as Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart, and Rui Hachimura were there, the same should be expected from a roster filler like Bronny.This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
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