LeBron, along with Bronny, enter year 22 with ‘a lot in the tank’

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – For a team that needed a second-half surge just to make the tournament, then had a brief rebound in the first round, resulting in an offseason coaching change, there was certainly an air of optimism in the building where media day would be held. Los Angeles Lakers annual event on Monday.

No one embodies it more than 39-year-old LeBron James as he begins his 22nd season, tying Hall of Fame inductee Vince Carter for the most in NBA history.

“I feel very good,” James said during his press conference. “I had a great summer.”

James had reason to smile when he looked back on winning a gold medal at the Paris Olympics with Team USA and being named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player and looking forward to becoming the first father to team up with his son in the league.

LeBron and his 19-year-old son, Bronny, were among the first Lakers players on the court, where they happily posed for photos together in gold Lakers uniforms.

“So I feel good physically. And mentally I feel really good. Really strong. Very fresh. And I’m looking forward to working tomorrow,” LeBron said. “I haven’t thought about what the future holds. I’m just kind of living in the moment. Especially with Bronny here too. I don’t want to take this moment for granted.”

“This is a crazy feeling,” Bruni added. “Just looking at my dad taking the pictures, it was like, ‘What’s going on now?’ (It was) literally my thoughts, just taking it all in. So grateful for this opportunity.”

James, who turns 40 in December, said he was grateful for the tense moments the USA had to beat Serbia in the semi-finals and France in the Olympic final – an experience he likened to “two games in a row in Game 7″. -back” – to renew his sporting spirit.

“It was nice to play meaningful basketball,” James said. “Going out there at my age, and the miles I’ve come, and being able to play at the level that I played at, it gave me a greater sense of, well, I’ve got a lot more in my tank.” a lot.’ And I can help a big part of the team win the final and anything else – if it’s gold, if it’s the Larry O’Brien Cup, or whatever the case may be, I can still get it done.”

Not that the optimism was so overwhelming that the team was blind to its situation.

Despite active offseason volunteer training sessions, JJ Reddick takes over as head coach with no coaching experience. Jared Vanderbilt (right and left foot actions), Los Angeles’ best defender, and Christian Wood (left knee arthroscopic), the lone No. 5 player on the roster, will be sidelined for at least several more weeks and will have to watch when practices begin Tuesday.

Anthony Davis, who won gold with James and also got a tattoo of the Olympic rings on his left arm to match James, acknowledged that the Lakers will face stiff competition.

“The West is tough,” Davis said. “The West has always been tough, you know, 1-15. So for us, we can’t be too excited to win, or too excited to lose. We have to step up and stay balanced. That continuity helps us.” “We started last year with the team we had, but I think if we get healthy and can stay healthy the whole season, we can be a top team in the West… If we get hit with injuries again, it’s going to be tough.”

Things got so tough for guard D’Angelo Russell at times last season — he headbutted former coach Darvin Hamm, lost his starting spot at one point and then played well enough to get it back only to struggle in the playoffs — that he acknowledged his uncertain future with the team, greeting reporters. By saying “surprise, surprise” before meeting him.

“I think for me, honestly, I really want to apologize in the sense of showing a lack of professionalism sometimes,” said Russell, who has been in constant contact with Reddick to get their relationship back on track. “It showed a lack of team-first perception at times. So for me, just maintaining that maturity and that professionalism all year long regardless of the ups and downs. And I hold myself more accountable on the defensive side.”

Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka said last week that he would need 30 or so games to evaluate his team to see what adjustments are needed.

In the meantime, the James family will continue to adjust to workplace sharing.

Although Bruni said he trained himself to block out the noise from “people who don’t think I should be here,” he had already become comfortable talking trash with his father.

He told ESPN that the bucket LeBron scored on him in a crossover game last week while playing pick-up basketball at the Lakers’ facility should not have counted because he believed his father went out of bounds before the score.

“The referees who were reviewing that game… he’s in the year no matter what, so he’ll get that call,” Bruni told ESPN.

As for LeBron saying on a recent episode of Uninterrupted’s “The Shop” that Bronny shouldn’t call him dad in the workplace?

“Everything that comes out of my mouth when I try to talk to him is what he will accept,” Bruni said.

Regardless of the name, LeBron seemed content with his son.

“Honestly, just pure joy, to be able to come to work every day, put in the work, work hard with your son every day, and be able to see him continue to grow,” he said. “It gives you so much life.”