The Los Angeles Lakers rookie cheered for his dad at the Bercy Arena in Paris as the United States defeated Brazil 122-87The Los Angeles Lakers rookie cheered for his dad at the Bercy Arena in Paris as the United States defeated Brazil 122-87
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LeBron James had his support from his son — and Los Angeles Lakers teammate — Bronny James, at the 2024 Paris Olympics!
Bronny, 19, was spotted cheering for his father and Team USA Basketball at Bercy Arena in Paris, where the 39-year-old Lakers star scored 12 points and had three rebounds in the United States’ 122-87 quarterfinal victory over Brazil on Tuesday, Aug. 6.
Bronny, 19, was all smiles in the stands for the game, wearing a white shirt and black shorts while he watched LeBron, along with NBA stars Stephen Curry and Devin Booker, secure their spot in the semifinal game against Serbia on Thursday.
Also in attendance at the quarterfinal was rapper Snoop Dogg, sitting courtside next to WNBA star A’ja Wilson, whose next Olympic match is Wednesday. Actress Taraji P. Henson and LeBron and Bronny’s agent Rich Paul were also spotted at Bercy Arena.
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After the game, LeBron told reporters, including PEOPLE, “It’s a blessing and it’s an honor to be able to still compete at this level and represent Team USA,” adding, “especially at the later stage” of his basketball career.
The United States men’s team will play Serbia next, facing NBA MVP Nikola Jokic in the semifinal round as both teams hope to play for the gold medal in Paris.
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Before Tuesday’s victory over Brazil, LeBron was spotted with his wife, Savannah, and daughter, Zhuri Nova James, 9, as the trio weathered the rain in Paris to support the U.S. women’s beach volleyball team. During the family outing, cameras caught the Lakers superstar dancing, which made Zhuri notably annoyed by her dad’s moves.
On June 27, Bronny officially became his father’s teammate when the Lakers drafted him in the second round after he played one season for the USC Trojans.
The selection drew criticism from basketball fans who believed Bronny was given the spot due to nepotism, but Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka quickly squashed the idea.
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“He’s worked for everything that he’s gotten, including being selected today at No. 55,” Pelinka said, according to USA Today.
“He is a young man that works incredibly hard. And those are the qualities we look for in drafting players and adding to our developmental core with the Lakers,” Pelinka added. “In terms of his work ethic, I think we’ve all seen that lived out, too. He’s not a person that is ever taking short cuts or expected or been entitled about basketball opportunities.”
To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, come to people.com to check out ongoing coverage before, during and after the games. And sign up for Going for Gold, our Olympics newsletter, to get the biggest stories from the Games delivered straight to your inbox. Watch the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, beginning July 26, on NBC and Peacock.
