One moment, it’s Bronny James teeing off on a quiet golf course, posting an Instagram story with the caption, “Some baby draws for the feed🫡.” Next, it’s LeBron James being spotted in Beverly Hills alongside Anthony Davis. Father and son, usually side by side for these off-court rituals, were suddenly playing different games, literally.

Golf is usually a shared lane for LeBron and Bronny. Their on-course banter has been its own subplot, a quiet rhythm outside the NBA grind. Bronny’s solo round immediately sparked online discussion, especially as it coincided with a significant sighting of his father. And that comes at a delicate time.

With Luka Doncic officially in a Lakers jersey and Anthony Davis in Dallas, the franchise is weighing contracts, rotations, and long-term direction, and LeBron’s link-up with AD in Beverly Hills holds significant undertones. For Bronny, though, the golf story ties back into a larger narrative.

His basketball curve has been anything but simple. From recovering from a 2023 cardiac arrest to working through a modest rookie season with the Lakers, Bronny’s actual statement has come in the G League. Eighteen games with South Bay, averaging 18.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists. A March explosion for 39 points against Santa Cruz. These are the kinds of flashes that suggest there’s more ahead than his NBA box scores imply. And yet, father and son keep circling the same spotlight.

When LeBron opted into the final year of his deal, Bronny admitted he wasn’t even looped in. He found out, like everyone else, through friends calling after seeing the news. That says something about how tightly the James family keeps its cards. LeBron is entering Year 23, carrying a $52.6 million salary that makes him both the highest-paid Laker and, in some ways, a player with less pull than before. Add to that how LeBron James is unhappy in LA.

LeBron and Bronny splitting paths?

Luka Doncic is now the new star in Los Angeles, and LeBron has been nudged into a secondary orbit. LeBron, who once had significant pull in roster moves like the Russell Westbrook trade, now faces a different reality as the team’s balance of power shifts. Bronny, on the other hand, is still fighting for a margin. Summer League minutes, training camp scraps, and a looming two-way contract battle that includes names like Dalton Knecht and Kylor Kelley.

Kelley, a 27-year-old rim protector, signed on with LA looking to steal that last roster spot, and his presence complicates the path for Bronny. One win for Kelley could mean delayed minutes for LeBron’s son. LeBron’s off-court decisions, Bronny’s developmental curve, and the Lakers’ roster politics are now stacked on top of each other. Even Stephen A. Smith, a longtime LeBron critic, recently argued that James should brace for a changing of the guard.

“There’s a new star in town,” Smith said. “That doesn’t mean your star has to descend. But this brother [Doncic] is that special, and that can’t be ignored.”This new reality might just be the central challenge for both men.