Lakers Make Shocking Bronny James Decision in Win Against Heat
Posted November 3, 2025
In a surprising move, Lakers head coach JJ Redick kept second-year guard Bronny James on the court for the majority of the crunch-time minutes during their 130-120 victory over the Miami Heat on Sunday.
Bronny, who finished with two points, two assists and three steals, played a total of 18 minutes, most of which were in the fourth quarter. While his numbers don’t jump off the screen, the son of LeBron James made some critical defensive plays, especially in the waning moments of the game, which earned JJ Redick’s praise.
After the game, Redick explained why he subbed Bronny into the game at the 7:32 mark of the fourth quarter and kept him in until the final minute.
“I thought he was really good on the ball. He got a steal off the ball, but I thought he was good on the ball,” Redick said after the game, via BasketNews.
Bronny James Made ‘Play of the Game’
Redick praised Bronny for applying the same on-ball defensive pressure during the Lakers’ 122-108 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers last week. Although Bronny went scoreless in 20 minutes of that game, he came away with a steal and a block.
“Now I’ve seen it twice over the last week or so — he was really just a force in terms of containment and physicality,” Redick said of Bronny.
“Then he made arguably the play of the game: when Luka was double-teamed, he was the next guy, drove the closeout, got to the paint, read the defense, and ended up getting his teammate a wide-open three.”
The “play of the game” Redick is referring to came at the 6:53 mark in the fourth quarter when Bronny found Marcus Smart for a corner three, which gave the Lakers a 114-107 cushion. That play, among his three steals, earned him valuable playing time.
Bronny James Finishes Lob Dunk
The 21-year-old’s only basket of the game came when he caught a lob dunk from point guard Austin Reaves with 1:19 left in the first quarter. That field goal gave the Lakers a 40-30 lead after Luka Doncic got the ball rolling with his rapid-fire start.
Reaves, who finished with 26 points and 11 assists, said that he may be the first player in NBA history to throw a lob to a father and a son, referencing the many alley-oop connections between himself and LeBron James.
“I’ve got to be the first person in NBA history to throw a father a lob and a son a lob,” Reaves said, via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “It was a pretty special moment.”
Bears Insider Reveals Whether Chicago Will Look to Add a Free Agent at Key Position
The Chicago Bears are a little light at the defensive end position, with a player being moved to the IR.
The Bears placed second-year edge rusher Austin Booker on the injured reserve list with a knee injury in late August and are rolling into Monday Night Football with four defensive ends.
The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain suggests the team could sign one of the edge rushers they’ve tried out in recent days.
The Bears Working Out Players But Standing Pat
The four edge rushers on the Bears’ active roster are Montez Sweat, Dayo Odeyingbo, Daniel Hardy and Dominique Robinson.
The Bears had 11 players, including three defensive ends, tryout for the team on Thursday. The most notable was Isaiah Foskey, Fishbain said, but no signing has been made.
GettyNEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – SEPTEMBER 08: Isaiah Foskey #55 of the New Orleans Saints looks on after playing the Carolina Panthers at Caesars Superdome on September 08, 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Fishbain notes the Bears’ front office is “keeping their eyes” on who’s available, but the team is rolling with who they have for Monday Night Football against the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field.
Recent statements from general manager Ryan Poles suggests that the Bears feel confident about the defensive lineman because of the interior rush, led by Grady Jarrett and Gervon Dexter Jr.
“I think this was the best training camp Montez Sweat’s had. He’s in really good shape, ready to go,” Poles said in late August. “I think Dexter’s ready to make a move. And then when you put those guys together with Grady — he’s been a great addition, not only on the field, but his leadership — that whole group is really lifted in terms of their play and their mentality. And then with Dennis, I’m sure there’s things we haven’t even seen yet in terms of him helping and enhancing and creating confusion to get to the quarterback.”
GettyCHICAGO, ILLINOIS – AUGUST 17: General manager Ryan Poles of the Chicago Bears looks on during the NFL Preseason 2025 game between Buffalo Bills and Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on August 17, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Out of Notre Dame, Foskey was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the second-round of 2023 under former head coach Dennis Allen, who now is the Bears’ defensive coordinator.
His availability isn’t without reason—and Allen knows him better than most. Foskey was waived by the Saints as part of final roster cuts just two weeks ago.
In addition to Foskey, the Bears hosted defensive ends Myles Cole and Hayden Harris on Thursday.
Out of Texas Tech, Cole was drafted in the seventh-round by the Jacksonville Jaguars but was waived by the team at final cuts.
Harris, out of Montana, went undrafted and was cut by the Buffalo Bills days after he got into a scuffle at practice. Bills head coach Sean McDermott said at the time that he was most upset with veteran offensive lineman Alec Anderson and not Harris. He said Anderson gave a “cheap-shot.”
