Bronny James Makes Historic NBA Debut as Lakers’ Number 9

Bronny James, the son of NBA legend LeBron James, made his highly anticipated NBA debut for the Los Angeles Lakers, marking a historic moment as the first son of an active NBA player to take the court. Bronny, who wears the number 9 jersey, played his first professional game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena.

Drafted by the Lakers with the 55th pick, Bronny saw 16 minutes of action in his debut, finishing with two points on 1-for-6 shooting but impressing with three blocked shots, including a notable chase-down block on Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

The decision to wear the number 9 is a personal tribute by Bronny to the late recording artist Juice WRLD. After wearing number 0 in his AAU and prep career and number 6 during his lone season at USC, Bronny chose number 9 as a homage to Juice WRLD, who had significant personal importance to him. The number holds symbolic meaning for Juice WRLD, representing the transformation of negative situations into positive ones.

The game was a special moment for the James family, with LeBron James also on the court, creating a unique dynamic that energized both the team and the crowd. Lakers coach JJ Redick and General Manager Rob Pelinka have expressed their enthusiasm about having Bronny on the team, highlighting the potential for him to invigorate the entire organization.