Author: rb809rb

Bronny James speaks during Lakers Media Day as he prepares for his third season with Los Angeles.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Bronny James seems to realize that the wildest part of LeBron James’ decision to change teams before his 24th NBA season is the fact he left his son behind to do it.

Bronny is still with the Los Angeles Lakers after his 41-year-old father’s departure for the Philadelphia 76ers. The younger James enters his third NBA season this week still working to win a rotation role with the team that drafted him in 2024 in the family’s adopted hometown.

Bronny and LeBron spent the past two seasons as the NBA’s first father-son teammates, an achievement LeBron said was comparable to any of his championship rings. But the top scorer in league history decided his hunger for another title was greater than his desire to stay by Bronny’s side.

In his first extensive public comments on this unusual situation Monday, Bronny confirmed he isn’t the least bit angry or disappointed by his dad’s departure.

He’s already well aware that when your father is LeBron James, many things are bigger than you.

“Happy for him, and excited for where their season goes,” Bronny said. “I’m excited to see him on Christmas, excited to play against him on Christmas. It’s going to be good.”

The 76ers visit the Lakers on Dec. 25.

While LeBron’s enthusiasm for being an engaged father to his three children is well-documented, Bronny said he didn’t have extensive discussions with his father about the move.

“We’re men of very little words when it comes to talking about business and what we’re going to do and how we feel about each other,” Bronny said with a smile. “It wasn’t really much, to be honest with you. He’s got his own path and I’ve got my own, so he knows that I want to make a name for myself and want to continue my career and keep growing as a player, and he knows I’ll want to focus on that, so he decided to (move).”

And while LeBron meets his new teammates and settles into Philadelphia this week, his son is getting back to work with the Lakers. LeBron won’t be a constant presence in the locker room and on the road to dispense guidance and leadership to his son — and he won’t be around for Bronny’s 22nd birthday next week, either.

That’s all fine for Bronny, who wasn’t fazed while he went through his first Lakers media day without his father’s massive presence and booming voice nearby.

“Feels like he’s not here,” Bronny said at the Lakers’ training complex. “I don’t really have an opinion on that. That’s my dad. I’ve spent almost 22 years with him, so just another experience that I’m going to be a part of, and I’m excited how it’s going to feel during the season. So I’m looking forward to it.”

LeBron said this week that he left the Lakers to chase his fifth championship ring. The unspoken part of that declaration is James’ apparent belief he’s closer to a title in Philadelphia than in Los Angeles, where his Lakers won just one playoff round in the past three seasons.

But Bronny is optimistic about the Lakers’ chances to build an exciting — and pointedly younger — core around NBA scoring champion Luka Doncic and prolific guard Austin Reaves. New center Walker Kessler should be a sharp upgrade under the opponents’ basket and on lob finishes, and he’s just one of nine new players hoping to win roles with Los Angeles.

“Everyone is young, so there’s a lot of energy flowing around, and I think we feed off each other,” Bronny said. “I don’t know yet, because we haven’t played a game, but because we’re young and we’re finding a way to get close to each other, I think we can feed off each other’s energy. There’s going to be a lot of guys that can go out and give full effort, turn up the game, and we can probably play fast because of how young we are. … We have a good chance of making it far.”

LeBron ended this family partnership right when Bronny appeared to be on the verge of breaking through to a regular role. Bronny played regularly down the stretch last season and into the playoffs while Doncic and Reaves were sidelined by injury, teaming up with his father for significant minutes in the Lakers’ first-round upset of the Houston Rockets.

Bronny wants to continue his growth as a secondary ballhandler and a point-of-attack defender, two roles in which he excelled for long stretches last spring. His father won’t be around for tips and critiques, but Bronny is ready to figure out some things on his own — and with ample help from his teammates and coaches, of course.

“I think I did play my role pretty well in the Houston series, and that’s something I can grow off of,” Bronny said. “Showing up every day and playing my game and being relentless both sides of the floor and making sure I’m getting my teammates involved and disrupting on the defensive end of the floor.”

Victor Wembanyama highlights one of the top players to watch in Yahoo High Score this season.

For years, Yahoo Fantasy Basketball has been the best platform for fans to play the game their way, offering the flexibility and formats to suit every kind of hoops manager. Traditional formats remain a blast for managers who love the grind, rewarding those who track every hot streak and late-night injury report.

But there’s another way to play on Yahoo Fantasy that doesn’t just match that excitement — it builds on it, delivering a fresh take on fantasy that stays true to its roots while adapting to how fans connect with today’s game, ultimately making it less of a grind — and more fun.

Introducing High Score, an easier way to play fantasy basketball on Yahoo, the official season-long partner of the NBA!

Let’s take you through everything you need to know to get ready for this innovative, points-based, head-to-head format.

How does High Score differ from other formats?

A streamlined roster with star power

Points, 9-category and rotisserie leagues require managers to fill at least 13 spots and juggle deep benches. High Score trims that roster to 10 players, with six weekly starters — creating teams packed with stars while still leaving room to select your favorite sleepers and emerging talents.

Here’s how your roster will look

• Guard
• Guard
• Frontcourt
• Frontcourt
• Frontcourt
• FLEX/UTIL
• Bench
• Bench
• Bench
• Bench

The traditional PG-SG-SF-PF-C composition remains a constant for NBA purists, but the game of basketball itself has evolved toward a more position-less style of play. High Score adopts this trend with a flexible setup of players — a mix of guards, forwards and one FLEX — aligning with the NBA’s structure for its awards and All-Star teams.

Clean, simplified scoring

High Score focuses on the core stats we care about — points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks — while completely removing turnovers from the equation. Each stat is scored in whole numbers, so you don’t have to worry about decimal points or managing 8-9 categories to earn a W.

• Points = 1
• Rebounds = 1
• Assists = 2
• Blocks = 3
• Steals = 3

By reducing complexity, High Score integrates the Head-to-Head points approach that makes results easier to follow and more exciting to track.

Save time while earning the highest score

I love the daily grind of traditional points and category formats, but playing fantasy basketball for 24 weeks with multiple games per day can be daunting. So, we’re presenting a different and more efficient rhythm. With High Score, you can choose to set your lineup just once per week and let each starter’s single-highest point total of the week count toward your overall score. This preserves the thrill of competition while reducing the time commitment. You’ll still celebrate every breakout night, but without the pressure of adjusting lineups daily across a full fantasy basketball season.

How do I earn points in High Score?

There’s no need to worry about having to pick which game might net the best performance. Each of the six players entered into your starting lineup will automatically be credited with their single highest score in a given week. Doesn’t get much easier than that!

The risk-reward factor when you swap players in your High Score lineup

You can decide to have a more hands-on approach and move players in and out of your starting lineup throughout the week, but here’s the key: when you bench a player, any points they scored before being benched won’t count toward your weekly total. Once you put them back in, only the points they score after rejoining your lineup will count.

For example, if Steph Curry has 35 fantasy points on Monday while starting, then you bench him and later put him back in, only the points he scores after being reinserted will count. It’s all about timing your lineup decisions to maximize those big performances.

What are some draft and in-season strategies?

• Target guards and passing bigs in this format because they’ll have an advantage. Assists are more valuable than rebounds, plus turnovers don’t count.
• Prioritize ceiling over floor. Since High Score is taking the best score from six players each week, look for the high-variance, streaky scorers over the consistent, reliable players.

This is an evolution, not a replacement

High Score respects the heritage of fantasy basketball while opening doors for new fans. Die-hard daily players can continue with the classic offerings, while those seeking a lighter, more approachable challenge can chase the High Score. And heck, why not just play them all?

It’s the same passion, reimagined for the modern NBA.

Draft, cheer and watch your NBA stars shine with Yahoo’s exciting format for fantasy basketball. Join or create a High Score league today!