Earlier in the week, Brunson said he was cleared for basketball activities, the only question on his return was timing. With the Knicks on a back-to-back this weekend — they beat Atlanta Saturday — the real question was which one of the games he would play, because it was never going to be both.
Brunson would be a lock to make an All-NBA team this season except he has played in 61 games and needs to play at least 20 minutes in four more to reach the league's 65-game threshold to be eligible for postseason awards. The Knicks have five games remaining, including Sunday. Brunson is averaging 26.3 points a game this season with a 60.6% true shooting percentage, plus he's dishing out 7.4 assists a game.
Barring a highly unlikely total collapse in the season's final week, the Knicks will be the No. 3 seed in the East and host either Detroit or Milwaukee in the first round.
It’s Sunday, April 6, and the Phoenix Suns (35-42) and New York Knicks (49-28) are all set to square off from Madison Square Garden in New York.
The Suns are currently 12-27 on the road with a point differential of -2, while the Knicks have an 8-2 record in their last ten games at home.
New York won the only meeting of the season, 138-122 in Phoenix back on November 20. Over the last five games, Phoenix has lost all five, while New York is 4-1 in that stretch.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Listen to the Rotoworld Basketball Show for the latest fantasy player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts.
Game details & how to watch Suns vs. Knicks live today
Date: Sunday, April 6, 2025
Time: 7:00PM EST
Site: Madison Square Garden
City: New York, NY
Network/Streaming:
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
Game odds for Suns vs. Knicks
The latest odds as of Sunday:
Odds: Suns (+268), Knicks (-334)
Spread: Knicks -7.5
Over/Under: 228 points
That gives the Suns an implied team point total of 112.98, and the Knicks 116.89.
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!
Expert picks & predictions for Sunday’s Suns vs. Knicks game
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) leans the Knicks to cover:
"The Suns have lost five straight games by double-digits, but this isn't the worst spot to back them as the Knicks have struggled since Jalen Brunson went down with an injury. New York is 4-1 over the last five games, but three of the four wins came against non-playoff teams. Phoenix needs to find its stride and with five straight losses, desperation will set in. I lean toward the Suns at +7.5 or better."
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Suns & Knicks game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the New York Knicks on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Phoenix Suns at +7.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 228.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions pagefrom NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Suns vs. Knicks on Sunday
The Knicks have won 8 of their last 10 home games, while the Suns have lost 14 in 16 on the road
The Under has cashed in the Knicks' last 4 games
The Knicks have covered in their last 5 games as a home favorite
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
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It’s Sunday, April 6, and the Washington Wizards (17-60) and Boston Celtics (57-20) are all set to square off from TD Garden in Boston.
The Wizards are currently 9-28 on the road with a point differential of -12, while the Celtics have a 7-3 record in their last ten games at home. Boston is 3-0 against Washington this season with victories of 12, 14, and 20 points.
Boston has won 10 of the past 11 games, while Washington is 1-4 in the last five contests and 2-9 over the previous 11.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Listen to the Rotoworld Basketball Show for the latest fantasy player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts.
Game details & how to watch Wizards vs. Celtics live today
Date: Sunday, April 6, 2025
Time: 6:00PM EST
Site: TD Garden
City: Boston, MA
Network/Streaming:
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
Game odds for Wizards vs. Celtics
The latest odds as of Sunday:
Odds: Wizards (+1450), Celtics (-3846)
Spread: Celtics -20.5
Over/Under: 226 points
That gives the Wizards an implied team point total of 112.34, and the Celtics 122.99.
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!
Expert picks & predictions for Sunday’s Wizards vs. Celtics game
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) leans a live bet angle between Boston and Washington:
"With three double-digit victories against Washington this season, there's no reason to think it won't happen again but laying -20.5 points in an NBA game is tough to do. I'd look at a live bet on the Celtics or a better number on the Wizards if this is truly a blowout."
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Wizards & Celtics game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Washington Wizards at +20.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the under on the Game Total of 226.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions pagefrom NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Wizards vs. Celtics on Sunday
The Celtics have won 7 straight games against the Wizards
The Celtics' last 3 versus the Wizards have stayed under the Total
The Wizards are 3-7 against the spread in their last 10 games
The Celtics' last 3 versus the Wizards have stayed under the Total
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
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It’s Sunday, April 6, and the Sacramento Kings (37-40) and Cleveland Cavaliers (62-15) are all set to square off from Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.
The Kings are currently 18-21 on the road with a point differential of 0, while the Cavaliers have a 9-1 record in their last ten games at home. Sacramento won the only meeting of the season at home versus Cleveland, 123-119 on March 19.
Cleveland won three straight games and six of the past seven, while Sacramento is coming off a win, but are 2-7 since beating the Cavaliers.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Listen to the Rotoworld Basketball Show for the latest fantasy player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts.
Game details & how to watch Kings vs. Cavaliers live today
Date: Sunday, April 6, 2025
Time: 6:00PM EST
Site: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
City: Cleveland, OH
Network/Streaming: NBA TV
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
Game odds for Kings vs. Cavaliers
The latest odds as of Sunday:
Odds: Kings (+362), Cavaliers (-474)
Spread: Cavaliers -10
Over/Under: 237 points
That gives the Kings an implied team point total of 117.42, and the Cavaliers 122.63.
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!
Expert picks & predictions for Sunday’s Kings vs. Cavaliers game
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) leans Evan Mobley Over 2.5 Blocks and Steals:
"The Defensive Player of the Year race is heavily favored toward Draymond Green, so Evan Mobley will have to make a strong impression to close the regular season. Mobley is coming off a three-block and one-steal performance versus San Antonio and recorded two or more blocks in six of the past seven games. In most games, this prop is juiced heavily or 3.5, but because he had one total block and steal, the value on this is an even -115 either way. I have to lean the Over for Mobley."
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Kings & Cavaliers game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Cleveland Cavaliers on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Sacramento Kings at +10.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the under on the Game Total of 237.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions pagefrom NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Kings vs. Cavaliers on Sunday
The Cavaliers have won 8 of their last 10 games against teams with losing records
4 of the Kings' last 5 matchups with the Cavaliers have gone over the Total
The Cavaliers are 1-4 against the spread in their last 5 games
The Cavaliers have won 13 of their last 16 games at home
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
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It’s Sunday, April 6, and the Utah Jazz (16-62) and Atlanta Hawks (36-41) are all set to square off from State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
The Jazz are currently 7-32 on the road with a point differential of -9, while the Hawks have a 6-4 record in their last ten games at home. Atlanta won the only meeting of the season in Utah, 124-121.
Atlanta has lost three straight games and five of the past six compared to Utah who has dropped eight consecutive outings and 18 of the previous 19.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Listen to the Rotoworld Basketball Show for the latest fantasy player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts.
Game details & how to watch Jazz vs. Hawks live today
Date: Sunday, April 6, 2025
Time: 6:00PM EST
Site: State Farm Arena
City: Atlanta, GA
Network/Streaming:
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
Game odds for Jazz vs. Hawks
The latest odds as of Sunday:
Odds: Jazz (+445), Hawks (-602)
Spread: Hawks -12
Over/Under: 243 points
That gives the Jazz an implied team point total of 120.4, and the Hawks 126.65.
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!
Expert picks & predictions for Sunday’s Jazz vs. Hawks game
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) leans Dyson Daniel to go Over his 26.5 PRA prop:
"As the season closes, Dyson Daniels inches closer to winning Most Improved Player of the Year and a team like the Utah Jazz provides a quality opponent for him to pad some stats. Daniels went Under in his past outing, so I like this spot as a bounce back Over for Daniels."
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Jazz & Hawks game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Atlanta Hawks on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Utah Jazz at +12.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the under on the Game Total of 243.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions pagefrom NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Jazz vs. Hawks on Sunday
The Hawks have won 12 of their last 20 home games against teams with losing records
The Over is 7-3 in the Hawks' last 10 games
The Jazz have covered in all nine of their matchups against Eastern Conference Southeast Division teams this season
The Atlanta Hawks were woeful against the New York Knicks last time and a -12.5 is unlikely to be covered by Quin Snyder's inconsistent side. The Jazz have covered in all nine of their matchups against Eastern Conference Southeast Division teams this season and can keep things tight in Georgia.
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
It’s Sunday, April 6, and the Toronto Raptors (28-50) and Brooklyn Nets (25-52) are all set to square off from Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
The Raptors are currently 11-27 on the road with a point differential of -5, while the Nets have a 2-8 record in their last ten games at home. Toronto is 2-1 versus Brooklyn this season with the last two wins coming by 17 and 30 points.
Brooklyn is coming off a 15-point loss that snapped a two-game winning streak. The Nets are 2-7 over the last nine games, while the Raptors are 0-3 over the past three contests and 4-7 over the previous 11.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Listen to the Rotoworld Basketball Show for the latest fantasy player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts.
Game details & how to watch Raptors vs. Nets live today
Date: Sunday, April 6, 2025
Time: 3:30PM EST
Site: Barclays Center
City: Brooklyn, NY
Network/Streaming:
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
Game odds for Raptors vs. Nets
The latest odds as of Sunday:
Odds: Raptors (-131), Nets (+110)
Spread: Raptors -2
Over/Under: 214 points
That gives the Raptors an implied team point total of 107.57, and the Nets 106.52.
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!
Expert picks & predictions for Sunday’s Raptors vs. Nets game
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) leans the Raptors on the ML:
"Toronto has won the last two meetings by a combined 47 points after losing the first meeting by seven points. While the Nets have the slight rest advantage, I would lean toward the Raptors here, especially since they opened as slight favorites. It's Toronto ML or pass."
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Raptors & Nets game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Toronto Raptors on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Brooklyn Nets at +2.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the over on the Game Total of 214.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions pagefrom NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Raptors vs. Nets on Sunday
The Raptors have won their last 3 matchups against divisional opponents
Each of the Nets' last 5 home games against the Raptors have stayed under the Total
The Nets have covered in 26 of their 48 matchups against Eastern Conference teams this season
The Nets have covered in 26 of their 48 matchups against Eastern Conference teams this season
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
It’s Sunday, April 6, and the Chicago Bulls (35-42) and Charlotte Hornets (19-58) are all set to square off from Spectrum Center in Charlotte.
The Bulls are currently 19-19 on the road with a point differential of -2, while the Hornets have a 3-7 record in their last ten games at home. Chicago is 2-1 versus Charlotte this season, but lost the previous matchup, 125-123.
Chicago is coming off back-to-back wins and has taken six of the past eight, while Charlotte is off two straight losses and five of the previous seven.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Listen to the Rotoworld Basketball Show for the latest fantasy player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts.
Game details & how to watch Bulls vs. Hornets live today
Date: Sunday, April 6, 2025
Time: 1:00PM EST
Site: Spectrum Center
City: Charlotte, NC
Network/Streaming: NBA TV
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
Game odds for Bulls vs. Hornets
The latest odds as of Sunday:
Odds: Bulls (-408), Hornets (+318)
Spread: Bulls -9.5
Over/Under: 227 points
That gives the Bulls an implied team point total of 117.31, and the Hornets 112.36.
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!
Expert picks & predictions for Sunday’s Bulls vs. Hornets game
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) leans the Bulls to cover:
"Chicago is off back-to-back wins, while Charlotte has dropped the past two. While the Hornets have still been competitive despite losing recently, I like the Bulls in this spot to continue building momentum for the play-in. Chicago's offense should be able to cover -9.5 if they limit their turnovers. It's Bulls or pass."
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Bulls & Hornets game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Chicago Bulls on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Charlotte Hornets at +9.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 227.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions pagefrom NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Bulls vs. Hornets on Sunday
The Bulls have won their last 7 games against teams with worse records
The Under is 26-21 in the Bulls' matchups against Eastern Conference teams this season
The Bulls have covered the Spread in 7 of their last 8 road games against the Hornets
The Bulls have won 8 of their last 10 games against teams with losing records
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
Two days after managing a virtual standoff against the NBA’s most skilled big man, Draymond Green’s Defensive Player of the Year tour/campaign returns Sunday against an opponent that poses similar, if less refined, problems. Green is going from Denver’s Nikola Jokić, a three-time MVP, to Houston’s Alperen Sengün, who only is 22 years old but already is productive and skillful enough that he is drawing early comparisons to Jokić.
Green and Sengün will be central figures when the Warriors (46-31) and Rockets (51-27) convene at Chase Center for the fifth and final time this season. Coverage on NBC Sports Bay Area begins at 4:30 p.m., with tipoff scheduled for 5:30.
The game features two of the league’s hottest teams, as the Warriors have won 14 of their last 17 games and the Rockets have won 14 of their last 16.
Jokić played a strong individual game against Green on Friday at Chase, scoring 33 points on 13-of-17 shooting, including 4-of-7 from distance, while recording nine assists. But he was minus-4 over 37 minutes. Green was plus-14 over 30 minutes in a 114-108 victory.
Sengün is not yet an MVP candidate, but the comparisons to Jokić are natural, stemming from his gift for scoring and crafty passing. They’re both 6-foot-11, but Sengün is eight years younger and 45 pounds lighter.
Sengün is building quite the resumé, as this season he became the 16th-fastest player to post 4,000 points, 2,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists, reaching those totals in 256 games. He also made his first NBA All-Star game.
Averaging 19.2 points per game, Sengün is second on the Rockets in scoring (behind Jalen Green’s 21.6) and third among NBA centers, behind only Jokić and New York Karl-Anthony Towns. Sengün is 10th in the league in rebounding, and only nine players shoot more free throws.
Though Golden State rookie Quinten Post will have opportunities against Sengün, the primary assignment falls to Green, whose priority will be trying to frustrate Sengün’s attempts to score. The Rockets are barely above .500 (10-9) when he’s held under 15 points.
In seven career games against Green and the Warriors, Sengün is averaging 13.9 points, on 52.2-percent shooting from the field.
This is the Warriors’ fourth consecutive game against a team they trail in the Western Conference standings. They won the first three, beating the Grizzlies, Lakers and Nuggets, in the process moving from sixth place to fifth.
The Rockets need two wins over their final four to clinch a second-place finish in the West.
Following UConn's 82-59 win in the National Championship game against South Carolina, Paige Bueckers, Geno Auriemma, Azzi Fudd, and the rest of the team cut down the net and celebrate being winning the NCAA Tournament.
Lakers guard Bronny James drives to the hoop against Bucks guard AJ Green during the first half of a game at Crypto.com Arena last month. The rookie son of LeBron James had a season-high 17 points in a loss. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
He has made 17 baskets.
He has played in the equivalent of less than three full games.
Seventeen Lakers have spent more time on the court. Sixteen Lakers have scored more points.
He has been but a speck of lint on the Lakers' lapel, a bit of dust at the end of the Lakers' bench, a small and irrelevant bystander in the Lakers' long and arduous journey.
The nepo baby whose arrival last summer was ripped across the NBA landscape has quietly risen above the criticism and gradually drowned out the noise.
Lakers forward LeBron James gets a high-five from his son, rookie guard Bronny James, during introductions before a game against the Pelicans at Crypto.com Arena last month. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
The famous son whose selection as the 55th pick in the 2024 NBA draft was trashed in this space as “not very smart” has actually become part of something that borders on ingenious.
I was wrong. I was very wrong. There have been few things more right about this season than the saga of Bronny James.
He hasn’t made an NBA impact, but he hasn’t been a distraction, either. Arguably the league’s most disliked and discounted rookie when the season began, he has won over fans, impressed teammates, inspired his father, and silenced the media.
Shut me up, anyway.
Ten months ago, when the Lakers acquired the oldest son of their best player, I wrote that the move was an insensitive joke.
Ten months ago, I had the hottest of hot takes.
“It’s not very smart,” I wrote. “And, for two of the main people involved, it’s not very fair.”
LeBron James (23) and Bronny James (9) become the first father-son duo to play together in NBA history on March 22, 2024, when they enter a game against Minnesota. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
I concluded my screed with, “Bronny is coming … the circus is starting.”
Turns out, the circus never arrived. The reality is, in one of its finest efforts, the Lakers' management handled the sensitive situation with nimble smarts.
Everything about this strange arrangement has worked, every fear has been squelched, all awkwardness has disappeared, and the Lakers have been left with a happily productive father and a gratefully improving son.
Bronny James has been their most improved player simply by morphing from a punch line into, well, a player.
“Since Day 1, I've just been impressed with the person that he is,” coach JJ Redick told reporters last month. “And to deal with … frankly, bull— because of who his dad is and just keep a level head about it and be a class act says a lot about him, says a lot about that family …”
Maybe it was truly cool with Redick from Day 1, but for the rest of the league, Bronny’s arrival raised a giant red flag. After all, this was a 19-year-old kid who missed most of his only college season while recovering from a heart attack, and suddenly he was given a Lakers uniform and a guaranteed contract?
This initially seemed like at least partly a publicity stunt designed to enable Bronny and LeBron to become the first father-son duo to play together in the NBA. Except the Lakers surprisingly didn’t milk it, and actually enabled it when relatively few people were watching.
In the second quarter of the season opener against Minnesota in late October, with the town’s attention focused on the Dodgers, father and son checked in together and played nearly three minutes. Bronny returned to the bench for the rest of the night and that was that.
History made. Moving on. The Lakers won the game and Bronny barely made a ripple. The tone had been set. Nothing to see here.
“[I] tried not to focus on everything that’s going on around me, and tried to focus on going in as a rookie and not trying to mess up,” Bronny told reporters after his debut.
He was just trying not to mess up. That was his mantra the entire season, a pledge filled with the respectful humility that framed his image into that of a likable kid who was just here to hoop.
He was a nepo baby, but he didn’t act like it. He was the most famous son of the most famous basketball player in the world, yet he quietly behaved like just another lucky stiff.
This attitude quickly became apparent to the fans, who began cheering for him as if he was the team’s lovable mascot, which, in a sense, he was.
The consistently popular chant would surface late in Lakers blowouts, when arenas would fill with, “We want Bronny!” The league’s most criticized rookie became the most embraced, and even though he played in only 22 games and was on the court for double-digit minutes in only four of them, those cheers resonated.
Was he good? What did you expect? No, by NBA standards, with few rare exceptions, he wasn’t great. In one nightmarish game in Philadelphia, when he went 0-for-5 shooting while being consistently burned on defense in 15 awful minutes, he was miles from great.
Bronny James and his father LeBron warm up before a game against Atlanta in January at Crypto.com Arena. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
But by fair standards — playing where he belonged in the developmental G League as a teenager with essentially no college experience and a history of heart failure — he was promising.
He played 18 of 50 games for the South Bay Lakers, and his last 11 were strong as he averaged 22 points, five rebounds and five assists. He scored 30 or more points three times, including 39 points in 38 minutes in a late March win against the Santa Cruz Warriors.
While standing on the court after that game, the rarely interviewed Bronny offered a compelling glimpse into his situation.
When asked by SpectrumSportsNet what he had been trying to prove, he said, “Just that I belong out there. That’s all I’m trying to prove. A lot of people say I don’t, but I just come out, work every day, try to get better every day and prove myself every day.”
So, yeah, he admitted, he’s felt the heat.
“All the criticism that’s thrown my way, it’s just amazing to shut all that down and keep going,” he said.
All this time, his father was watching. In fact, perhaps the biggest takeaway of the first year of the son’s appearance is the enormous effect it has had on the father.
LeBron has openly cheered for Bronny, as evident after the 39-point game when LeBron tweeted a note of support that read, in part, “SMILE THROUGH IT ALL … KEEP GOING!!”
Lakers guard Bronny James knocks the ball out of the hands of Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. during a game last month. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Yes, it was in all caps.
LeBron has also fought for his son, accosting ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith at courtside of a recent Lakers game and rebuking him for making his criticism too personal.
In all, the appearance of Bronny has energized and invigorated LeBron, who is on pace to play 71 games, equaling the most since he came to Los Angeles seven years ago.
Statistically, LeBron is playing about as well as he’s ever played as a Laker. Defensively, he’s playing even better, as if every night he is trying to set an example for his son.
His emotional investment in this season was clear from his first comments after he and Bronny played together.
“That moment, us being at the scorer’s table together and checking in together, it’s a moment I’m never going to forget,” LeBron said. “No matter how old I get, no matter how my memory may fade as I get older or whatever, I will never forget that moment.”
Those moments have stacked upon each other in creating a vastly different equation than the one most imagined for Bronny and LeBron. Everyone thought the father would inspire his son. Instead, it’s been the other way around.
“I missed a lot of Bronny's points because of my career over the course of his childhood and AAU games and high school and for me to see all the buckets he's had as an NBA player with us, to be here with him, is super special,” James told reporters in New York in early February. “It’s probably the greatest thing I've ever been a part of.”
LeBron James, who sat the game out because of a groin injury, slaps hands with son Bronny before a game against Milwaukee. The younger James would have a season-high 17 points in a loss at Crypto.com Arena. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Nearly two months later, Bronny was scoring 17 in a short-handed loss to Milwaukee, quietly handling his rare success with humility and grace, cementing what everyone had come to believe.
No matter what happens during the rest of the season, the forced, frantic shotgun marriage between Bronny James and the Lakers has been a blissful success.
“There's not really much I can do [about] people, random people, talking about me every day,” he told reporters. “Can't really do much about that, so I just go in the gym and work, put my head down and try to get better.”
After watching Bronny James do just that — head down, work hard, get better — one can actually describe his first Lakers season with four words that few previously dared to string together.
