Rich Paul defends Lakers' Bronny James from critics: 'This isn't a damn game' | News, results, highlights, statistics and rumors

Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, who has spent the offseason dealing with questions surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers' decision to select LeBron James' son Bronny James with the No. 55 pick in the 2024 draft, recently reiterated that his 20-year-old client This has “serious” ambitions to play in the NBA.

“Bronny is serious,” Paul told ESPN’s Baxter Holmes. “It’s not a damn game for him. He wants to play in the NBA and he wants to fulfill his role well.”

In Sunday's preseason loss to the Phoenix Suns, James played alongside his father on an NBA court for the first time.

While LeBron James led the Lakers with 19 points on 8 of 12 shooting, Bronny James missed a three-point attempt in 13 minutes on the court.

The younger James enters the NBA after a single shortened season at USC, where after a late start due to an offseason cardiac arrest and emergency heart surgery, he averaged 14.4 points in 25 games, mostly coming off the bench and behind Isaiah Collier, a rookie for the Utah Jazz, was lying.

Former ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported in July that James was expected to play the first week of the regular season with the Lakers before moving to the South Bay Lakers in the G League.

James signed a four-year, $7.9 million contract with the Lakers, which could theoretically give him time to develop his game with South Bay.

However, there may be pressure on him to get to the NBA sooner rather than later to play with his father. LeBron James is approaching his age 40 season and is scheduled to hit free agency in 2026.

James told reporters this spring that he hoped to emulate players like Derrick White, Jrue Holiday and Davion Mitchell in the NBA. According to Holmes, some Boy Scouts listening believed that this comparison showed “realism” in James' self-assessment.

With Paul reiterating that James wants to succeed “within his role,” it looks like the 20-year-old wants to continue to develop his game as a defensive-focused playmaker like White or Holiday in hopes of finding success as a role player one day his for the Lakers.