Latest news with #GLeague
New York Post
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Bronny James could be poised for a whole new Lakers role after rookie progress
Bronny James apparently has a bright future with the Lakers. One Western Conference exec said the Lakers are all-in on integrating LeBron James' 20-year-old son into their regular rotation next season, according to Athlon Sports. 'I don't think there's any doubt that's their plan,' the executive said. 'I know the guy gets a lot of grief because of who his dad is, but we've seen a lot of tape on [Bronny] and the fact is, he was a lot better player in April than he was in October, and definitely in July… He is going to be a regular for them next year.' 3 Lakers guard Bronny James (9) warms up prior to the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Arena in Los Angeles on April 19, 2025. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect The exec mentioned that Bronny — the 55th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft — flashed some real potential in his rookie season after falling behind in his development due to a heart condition suffered before his freshman year at USC. 'He's 20 years old,' the exec said. 'He had a whole year where his development was thrown all out of whack. But he can defend the perimeter and he showed he can shoot the 3. 'If he can show that wasn't a fluke, he is going to start getting 10, 15 minutes a night because the team is going to feel like they can trust him. I think he is going to do all that. He is going to be a regular for them next year.' 3 Lakers' Bronny James high fives teammate and father LeBron James #23 during Game 1 of their first round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves on April 19, 2025 at Arena in Los Angeles, California. NBAE via Getty Images Bronny struggled in Summer League and the beginning of his debut campaign with the Lakers. In 27 NBA appearances, the guard averaged 2.3 points, 0.7 rebounds, and 0.8 assists on 31.3 percent shooting from the field and 28.1 percent from three point range. The younger James was back and forth from the Lakers to the South Bay Lakers in the G League, where he averaged 21.9 points, 44.3 percent shooting and 38.0 percent from beyond the arc. 3 Lakers guard Bronny James (9) brings the ball up the court past Portland Trail Blazers forward Kris Murray (24) in the second half at Moda Center on April 13, 2025. Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images Lakers coach JJ Redick was adamant about Bronny's growth and dedication to developing his game. The Lakers' season ended with a loss to the Timberwolves in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series on April 30. Bronny explained that it was a 'blessing' to play with his father as they became the NBA's first-ever father-son duo. 'Being able to learn from him, not only as a player, but as a dad. It's a different type of relationship,' Bronny said, according to FOX Sports. 'I try to take full advantage of it because it's something that a lot of people can't have. It was an amazing experience for me. And I'm looking forward to learning more from him, if he's still here or not, either way. But I'm just looking forward to it.' LeBron, 40, suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee in the Lakers' 103-96 season-ending loss to Minnesota — and questions about his playing future inevitably followed. The four-time NBA champ has a $52.6 million player option that he could opt into to return next season for his 23rd campaign.
Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Oklahoma City Thunder coach Mark Daigneault knows what it takes to win titles — his wife has won 7
Oklahoma City's Mark Daigneault has the best record of any NBA coach this season. And he has the second-best record of any coach in his house. Daigneault is a coach — and a coach's husband too. His wife is Oklahoma assistant women's gymnastics coach Ashley Kerr. She and the Sooners went 33-2 this season and won another national championship, their third in four years. So as Daigneault chases his first NBA title — he and the top-seeded Thunder open the NBA Finals at home against the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night — his wife has been part of seven national championships over her career on the staffs at Florida and Oklahoma, the most recent of those coming just a few weeks ago as the Thunder were starting this playoff run. Daigneault isn't shy about touting the strengths of his wife's resume, either. 'Among my wife and I, she is — by far — the more accomplished, more impressive, better coach,' Daigneault said. 'She's the real deal.' It's a relationship born from ties to Florida. Daigneault — a Massachusetts native — was a student manager under Jim Calhoun at Connecticut, part of the team that won an NCAA championship there in 2004, then started his assistant coaching career at Holy Cross for three years before moving on to Billy Donovan's staff at Florida. Kerr, a Florida native, was a gymnast whose four years as a student-athlete for the Gators was ending around that time. She was brilliant, a four-time All-SEC academic selection, and Florida found a way to keep her with the program once her eligibility was exhausted. Kerr became a volunteer student manager for the 2011 season, then got promoted to team manager and eventually assistant to the head coach. Along the way, she and Daigneault started dating and over time things got serious. And then the relationship reached a key moment. Daigneault had an offer from the Thunder to coach the Oklahoma City Blue, their G League franchise. He was ready to leave. Kerr had a job in Gainesville. She was not ready to leave. 'The OKC job was a no-brainer for him,' Kerr told The Oklahoman newspaper for a story in 2021. 'I was like, 'You have to do it. You have to.'' It became a long-distance relationship for a few years, until Kerr decided it was time to leave Florida and try to embark on a coaching career in Oklahoma. The Sooners didn't have a job for her initially, before a volunteer position opened up right around the time she was going to make the move anyway. Kerr kept that volunteer job — coaching balance beam and helping Oklahoma win three NCAA titles — for about six years before the NCAA changed rules to allow volunteer assistant positions to be converted into full-time, paid positions. Over that time, Daigneault was promoted from the Blue to the Thunder, they got married and started a family. 'She has a way of connecting with our student-athletes on a personal level and is an exceptional leader,' Oklahoma coach K.J. Kindler said when Kerr was finally promoted. Daigneault likes to say the real coaches in his house right now are the couple's two children, ages 3 and 2, who basically run the show. 'We are not in charge,' Daigneault said. 'We are just surviving.' The younger of the two kids was born April 15, 2023 — a day after the Thunder were eliminated from that season's play-in tournament and the day the Sooners were competing in the NCAA gymnastics final in Fort Worth, Texas. It was also more than a week before Kerr's due date. She went into labor in Fort Worth at about 5 a.m. Daigneault had been back in Oklahoma City for about an hour after the middle-of-the-night flight home from Minnesota, where the Thunder lost that play-in game. He hopped in the car and made it to Fort Worth just in time for the birth that morning, and later that night the Sooners won a national title. 'Our team really rallied around her,' Kindler said. There are obvious benefits to a coach being married to another coach, as Daigneault and Kerr have found. There is an understanding of the jobs, an understanding of long hours and late nights and travel and unpredictability. But when they're home, they try to be home, not still at work. 'There's certainly a lot more things that define our relationship together, starting with our kids now,' Daigneault said. 'That's occupying the majority of our bandwidth, but even beyond that, we've always tried to compartmentalize it in a way that's pretty healthy because we both like to be home when we're home and not just using the house as an extension of our jobs.' Daigneault got his master's degree from Florida, though he originally intended to get it immediately after graduating from Connecticut. If he had stuck to that schedule, though, he almost certainly wouldn't have coached at Holy Cross. He might not have made it to Florida. He might not have met Kerr. He might not be married to someone with seven national championships. He might not have come to Oklahoma City. He might have missed out on these NBA Finals. Right place, right time. 'If you replayed my life 10 million times — I used to say a million, but now that we're playing in the NBA Finals, I'll say 10 million — this would only happen once,' Daigneault said. 'And so there's never a minute that I'm not grateful.'
West Australian
27-05-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
JackJumpers pick up former second-round NBA draft pick
A former second-round NBA draft pick has inked an import deal with the Tasmania JackJumpers, saying the team's "defend the island" culture was a big carrot. American guard David Johnson on Tuesday signed a one-year contract with the island state for the 2025/26 NBL season. The 24-year-old was picked at No.47 in the 2021 NBA draft by the Toronto Raptors and played two NBA games for the team. He was most recently with the Memphis Hustle in the NBA's G League, and averaged 16.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists across 28 appearances during 2024/2025. Johnson said he got in touch with Tasmania coach Scott Roth, who coined the rallying cry "defend the island". "I've heard only great things about the fans and the state so I'm really excited to play for something bigger than myself and represent Tasmania," Johnson said. "(It) really feels like the fans are a huge part of the team. I can't wait to get down there and defend the island." Kentucky-born Johnson's signing comes a day after the JackJumpers announced NBL championship-winning import Jordon Crawford would not be offered a new contract. "(Johnson has) got strong instincts, high basketball IQ, great ability to run the floor and be an on-court leader," Tasmania's chief operating officer Darren Smith said. Tasmania have shaken up their roster after finishing seventh in 2024/25, the franchise's worst result in their short four-season history. Inaugural skipper Clint Steindl has retired, while Fabijan Krslovic, Gorjok Gak, Reuben Te Rangi and Crawford have found new NBL clubs. The JackJumpers, who won the championship in their third season, have added Ben Ayre, Josh Bannan, Nick Marshall and young Aussie talent Kobe Williamson from Seattle.
Perth Now
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
JackJumpers pick up former second-round NBA draft pick
A former second-round NBA draft pick has inked an import deal with the Tasmania JackJumpers, saying the team's "defend the island" culture was a big carrot. American guard David Johnson on Tuesday signed a one-year contract with the island state for the 2025/26 NBL season. The 24-year-old was picked at No.47 in the 2021 NBA draft by the Toronto Raptors and played two NBA games for the team. He was most recently with the Memphis Hustle in the NBA's G League, and averaged 16.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists across 28 appearances during 2024/2025. Johnson said he got in touch with Tasmania coach Scott Roth, who coined the rallying cry "defend the island". "I've heard only great things about the fans and the state so I'm really excited to play for something bigger than myself and represent Tasmania," Johnson said. "(It) really feels like the fans are a huge part of the team. I can't wait to get down there and defend the island." Kentucky-born Johnson's signing comes a day after the JackJumpers announced NBL championship-winning import Jordon Crawford would not be offered a new contract. "(Johnson has) got strong instincts, high basketball IQ, great ability to run the floor and be an on-court leader," Tasmania's chief operating officer Darren Smith said. Tasmania have shaken up their roster after finishing seventh in 2024/25, the franchise's worst result in their short four-season history. Inaugural skipper Clint Steindl has retired, while Fabijan Krslovic, Gorjok Gak, Reuben Te Rangi and Crawford have found new NBL clubs. The JackJumpers, who won the championship in their third season, have added Ben Ayre, Josh Bannan, Nick Marshall and young Aussie talent Kobe Williamson from Seattle.
USA Today
25-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Watch: LeBron James makes a scene at his son Bryce's high school graduation
Another member of LeBron James' family is moving forward toward bigger and better things. His eldest son, Bronny, started to make strides in the G League over the last few months of this season, and now his youngest son, Bryce, is headed off to college to play basketball at the University of Arizona. Bryce James has now officially graduated from high school. He received his diploma during the graduation ceremony at Sierra Canyon School in the San Fernando Valley, and his father couldn't contain himself, as the Los Angeles Lakers superstar made a loud sound to celebrate the 17-year-old's big accomplishment. Bryce James, who is 6-foot-6, also had offers from Ohio State University and Duquesne University. But he elected to remain just hours away from home. As for LeBron James, the expectation is that he will remain with the Lakers and thus be able to drive east to watch Bryce play. He has a player option for next season, and he can either opt in or become a free agent and sign a new, slightly longer contract. He was just named to the All-NBA Second Team, and he could have a legitimate chance at winning his fifth NBA championship next season now that he could have a full offseason and training camp alongside Luka Doncic. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle
