Did Bronny James cause rift within Lakers’ Summer League team?

Jul 10, 2024; San Francisco, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James Jr. (9) between plays against the Miami Heat during the fourth quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Bronny James was arguably the most famous rookie at the recently concluded 2024 NBA Summer League held in Las Vegas, Nev. However, the fanfare that followed Bronny throughout the experience may have rubbed some of his teammates the wrong way.

The attention James received “caused tension” and was viewed as “very frustrating” by his summer league teammates, according to a report from Steve Brenner and Damian Burchardt of the US Sun.

Bronny was said to be viewed by the Lakers as “the main guy” on the summer league roster, which his teammates reportedly felt was undeserved. The alleged preferential treatment prevented the team from “building chemistry,” per the report.

James didn’t exactly play well during the NBA’s summer showcase. It got to the point where Bronny had to address his poor play to the media.

In four Vegas summer league games, James averaged 8.8 points on 35% shooting from the field to go along with 3.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game. James also struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on just three of his 19 three-point attempts (15.8%).

But James did appear to show improvement as the games went along. He closed with a 13-point outing in his team’s summer league finale against the Cleveland Cavaliers. James also had one NBA star defending him after the Lakers rookie hit a big shot during the contest.