Bronny James and Dalton Knecht introduced as Los Angeles Lakers 🙌 | NBA Today

Bronny James and Dalton Knecht introduced as Los Angeles Lakers 🙌 | NBA Today

the first time ever bronnie James hit the podium after being drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers so let’s go live to their press conference now Cory um and that means a lot to us so we’re going to take some questions and then get ready to go kick some butt in summer league uh Dalton if we could start with you we got to see your reaction up on the stage and kind of go through that moment what have these last couple days been like for you and conversations with Rob or your your new coach JJ and just that kind of building excitement as you start your NBA career uh it’s been exciting you know uh meeting them in person not only just through the phone and it’s been a fun Journey cuz you know like I said earlier my Journey’s been different and coming here to a historic franchise it’s going to be fun can’t wait to get to work and then to follow up with bronnie just that that moment right where you get the phone call and then you hear your name can you take us through the emotions of all of that and what you were feeling and then how you’ve been feeling the last couple days since yeah everything’s has been surreal um trying to take it all in by the days um extremely you know grateful for everything that I um JJ and and Rob have given to me um yeah and I’ve just been extremely excited to get to work yeah bronnie Jim Hill kk9 what have been some of the preliminary conversations you’ve had with your father about what’s expected in the NBA and and and what you can expect to hear and see once you start playing um you know we haven’t gone too deep into that stuff yet especially cuz we haven’t even started summer league yet um but you know just stuff that he’s been telling me my whole life just having that that work ethic and and coming in and and getting your working and listening to your coaches and being coachable stuff like that is he’s you know driven into my in my head my whole life guys Dan wiky from the LA Times uh a couple questions JJ first for you um going through your first draft what did you like about Dalton and and bronnie and um what was it like having them be the first two players that you were able to help select yeah I mean I was first of all I was thrilled to be in the draft room it was a very amazing experience for me um we didn’t think Dalton would be available at 17 um but he provides something uh that we just don’t have you know he’s a he’s a movement shooter he can obviously play off the bounce we viewed him very highly on our draft board and he can all three levels he’s got size there was a lot of things to be excited about with Dalton and I’m excited to coach him with bronnie I just I want to clarify one thing you just said which is Rob and and and I did not give bronnie anything bronnie has earned this right bronnie talks about his hard work bronnie has earned this through hard work and for us prioritizing Player Development uh we view bronnie as like case study one because his base level of feel athleticism point of attack Defender shooting passing there’s a lot to like about his game and uh as we sort of build out our player development program holistically um he’s going to have a great opportunity to become an excellent NBA player and and then my second question for for both of you guys for Dalton and brownie um this organization has talked a lot about Player Development here over the last month or so um what are your expectations for yourselves starting with some league in terms of playing both in Sacramento and in Vegas and kind of what you’re hoping to gain um between now and the start of the season um I think it’s going to be a lot of fun just uh getting out on the court with all the guys and you know the first couple days learning from JJ he’ll be there and uh start start the season you know go to the summer league and hopefully go win that and then just go on and uh get the regular season started uh for me um probably just you know getting a feel for the game especially at a At a next level um but just excited to go out there and compete with some some you know great players and uh being able to you know take this time to to get ready for you know what to come U Dave MCB with ESP ESPN welcome to Dalton and barani um I want to start with JJ just in terms of like Logistics here who’s going to be coaching the California classic and are your two rookies going to be playing up there and also in Vegas yeah so uh Dane Johnson will be coaching uh the California classic and summer league I will be heavily involved in practices I will also be involved in some capacity during the games during film all of that um you know it’s it’s we talk about development it’s an incredible opportunity for Dane and his staff to develop further um for me uh I have to sort of prioritize a bunch different things right now including building out a staff um uh but you know for both these guys we we expect them to play uh in both the California classic and in Las Vegas and then just a question for both the rookies start with Dalton um how’s it been from the moment I guess Wednesday till now like what what’s the wh Whirlwind been like for you um to be honest I have no clue I’m just uh trying to just take it all in as much as I can enjoy the moment meet uh all the guys Rob and JJ and obviously I met bronnie and just started meeting some teammates like braon and AD and get to know those guys and learn from them and bronnie you played one year at UFC and joined the team you know after the season already be began what about the timing to come into this year’s draft compelled you to make that decision and then how much of a consideration was while my father’s still an active player um for me me you know I always try to put that Narrative of me trying to get my name out for myself um but just coming in and trying to get better um you know Rob has told me that there’s a great development system here so I just want to come in and and get my work in and and get better every day um but I never really had a thought of you know me going to play with my dad but that’s always you know there to you know take part of but it wasn’t a main focus of mind to do hey guys over here uh Yoon buha with the athletic uh one question for each of you just uh entering the league as as rookies what area of your game are you looking to work on most coming in this summer uh for me probably just creating my own shot um you know I feel like I know how to play the game already and play the right way um but just being more aggressive on the offense end and and creating my shot cuz I know that’s what I can do um so yeah just just being more aggressive I’d say the same thing just go in be aggressive uh be ready to make some shots and then just uh show my allaround game is one thing just show all around and be a complete player Kobe Bry Southern California news group got one for both you guys bronnie first kind of going off of what you just said um because of the time you had to take off um at USC do you feel like there were parts of your game you weren’t able to Showcase as much because of that and do you feel like you know once you’re able to I guess get back on the court more consistently through summer league you can I guess reestablish the offens Rhythm you may not have had at USC yeah yeah for sure um the time that I had off I feel like I could have been perfecting my game more um yeah I just feel like I’ve I’ve been given an opportunity to you know showcase what I can really do CU I wasn’t given that much of an opportunity at SC so you know I I I’m excited for for what is to go and for you dson you kind of mentioned this I think in in New York uh you studied JJ uh while while in college JJ uh Rob you’ve mentioned that JJ was drawn up plays for dson uh right if you guys draft him is there an added excitement or element of excitement just knowing that you know you’ll be able to pick the brain of one of the you know best shooters that league has seen yeah for sure uh me and uh coach Barnes we watched a lot of JJ reck and how he comes off scen a couple of minutes here as D connect and bronnie James continue their introductory press conference but as we come back here to Los Angeles I thought it was really interesting that right off the bat Brian JJ reck took the tact of saying just to follow up on something bronnie James said he wasn’t asked this but bronny James earned his right to be here what stood out to you from those couple of minutes I mean I think the Lakers are being a little sensitive there they were being a little sensitive to you know any criticism they have to why they made the draft pick and they don’t have to be you know they should just moved on from it I have to say it’s still still a little surreal to see JJ reck if I showed you that a year ago and and a year ago and showed you bronny James as a Laker with JJ reck as the coach I’m not sure anybody would have quite believed it but moving past that y I think Brodney and Dalton have handled the early questions very well um JJ definitely had a talking point he wanted to come in and he made that right off the bat even though he wasn’t asked and he worked in the media he knows how to do that by the way what you didn’t see there LeBron James is standing in the back of that press conference Savannah James Bonnie’s mother also there uh Dalton connect family in attendance Chan yeah and I think to feed off of it yes maybe a little sensitive to some of the criticism but also that’s what organizations are going to do and be especially when you have a young player they’re going to be protective and if it’s anybody that’s gon to be protective it’s JJ reck particularly when he has a position of leadership I also found it interesting that JJ in the same you know segment of minutes he talked about bronnie James and also development there was this big push on the importance for us to become a developmental organization now I think with LeBron there you’re 40 on almost now you have conflicting timelines and interests but it is interesting that through one family you see development but you also see the pursuit of greatness and trying to win championships at the same dang time confusing something that’s a little bit new for the Los Angeles Lakers maybe put under a microscope seeing that they haven’t made necessarily these big splashy free agency moves they’re looking around saying all right we’re going to need to develop our own Talent bronnie James and dton connect JJ said will both participate in the California classic as well as the Las Vegas summer league so we’re going to get to see their game a little bit there Zack but realistically what are you expecting from Brony development development development the cool thing about summer league starting soon is that at some point this becomes not a press conference story where JJ reick like any good podcast host by the way you talk about whatever the heck you want to talk about ignore the question go off you know and now it becomes a basketball story it becomes a m it’s never going to be mundane because it’s bronnie James it’s LeBron’s son but now he’s a summer league player like any other summer league player he’s going to have to earn his minutes he’s going to have to make shots he’s going to have to make plays show what he can do I thought his answer about being more aggressive on offense was really interesting and how he’s very confident as he should be that he knows how to play the game the right way that obviously comes from in part growing up around somebody who plays The Game Pass first the right way um but now we get to see him play it becomes a basketball story now NBA Scouts actually he made a comment that he didn’t get as much chance to opportunity to show a you USC what he could be and that’s one thing NBA Scouts have said to me is they believe that he was playing out of position at us he was playing behind you know he’s moved over for a couple of guys who were trying to you know be get themselves drafted um including isaia CER who did get drafted ahead of him and that you know he didn’t really get a lot of time to perfect that new position so the Lakers are going to build their g-league team around him yeah and when he goes down there and plays they’re going to feature him he’s going to actually have a much better development opportunity at the South Bay Lakers when he plays there than he’s than he had at USC so I think something to keep in mind and he’s already talking about it I’m curious to see this Spotlight immediately come Saturday San Francisco Chase Center he’s the guy I’ve never seen a 55th pick no be the most highlighted person in the draft here’s the thing Mark he was never really the guy in high school he was playing with with major you know prospects all the way through he was always sort I mean like he he had other players but he’s a guy now that’s by right he wasn’t the guy at USC and you know but they’re going to feature him this team is going to be it around him and Dalton for this this event yeah and uh you know I’m curious to see this program this holistic program that JJ is doing what he does but I met this kid once I just say he’s one of the nicest kids I’ve ever met yeah I just wonder how he’s going to deal with everybody caring about him every game and not just to develop holistically is it’s going to be much deeper than that [Music]

The NBA Today panel react to Bronny James and Dalton Knecht being introduced by the Los Angeles Lakers and react to questions from their first press conference with the team.

0:00 Dalton Knecht as a Laker
2:00 Bronny James introduced as a Laker
4:00 Getting a feel for the game at the next level
8:00 Reaction to Lakers press conference

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