Will Bronny James follow his famous father to the NBA?

The Times shadowed Bronny James, son of Lakers star LeBron James, to find out how he navigates the pressure to one day join his father in the NBA. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Los Angeles Times] [Essential California Newsletter] March 28, 2023 [View in browser]( [Click to view images]( James, the son of Lakers star LeBron James, has dealt with pressure to live up to his father's proclamations about his greatness throughout his senior season. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) By Luca Evans Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California [newsletter](. It’s Tuesday, March 28. I’m Luca Evans, a Times Sports reporter writing from The Times office in El Segundo. At 6 p.m. PT, Chatsworth Sierra Canyon senior Bronny James will play in the McDonald’s All-American high school basketball game in Houston, alongside 23 of the top recruits in the nation. It’s one of the highest possible achievements for a high school basketball player. It’s a milestone James has celebrated with his famous family, but it’s not without controversy. For some, the honor bestowed upon Lakers star LeBron James’ eldest son is an example of nepotism. LeBron is an avid supporter of Bronny, but that praise often invites cynicism. In March, he tweeted his belief that his son was better than some current NBA players. The next day, Bronny scored 10 points as his team was unceremoniously eliminated from the state basketball tournament. Is the criticism accurate? Is Bronny James, who has 7 million Instagram followers, worth the hype? The Times committed to answering those questions by following Bronny James throughout his senior year at Sierra Canyon, a season during which one of the most famous teenagers in America hoped to lead one of the most famous high school basketball programs in America to a championship. During a journey that began with a preseason tournament in Vegas and ended with a disappointed trudge off a court in Calabasas, I traveled across the country and frequently traversed the San Fernando Valley to chronicle his development in the shadow of his father’s towering legacy. Kim Kardashian, popular YouTube influencers and a parade of past and present NBA stars joined LeBron James in cheering on his son on the Sierra Canyon sidelines. Bronny James lived in that spotlight, the subject of endless social media video highlights, but his voice was nowhere to be found. His family declined all interview requests on Bronny James’ behalf, leaving it to dozens of people I interviewed to help paint an accurate picture of his impact and potential. And now [you can read the answer]( to the most popular question I get asked after a season shadowing Bronny James — is he any good? And now, here’s what’s happening across California from Laura Blasey, our Essential California editor: Note: Some of the sites we link to may limit the number of stories you can access without subscribing. ADVERTISEMENT L.A. STORIES These 33 L.A. County buildings could be at risk in a major quake. As the county embarks on a landmark effort to identify and protect its stock of so-called nonductile concrete structures from collapse, the list includes many facilities that house officials who would be critical to steering the county through an emergency. [Los Angeles Times]( The fence around Echo Park Lake is finally coming down. Workers began dismantling the controversial fence on Monday, two years after a massive homeless encampment was cleared out of the historic park. [Los Angeles Times]( [A visitor from Toronto looks over a museum map while having a seat on a bench at The Getty.] Wei Xin Yang, visiting from Toronto, looks over a museum map while having a seat on a bench at the Getty. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) From brutal to glam, here’s the first L.A. museum seating report card. The humble museum bench does it all, The Times’ Carolina Miranda writes. But some do more than others for visitors. [Los Angeles Times]( Check out "The Times" podcast for essential news and more These days, waking up to current events can be, well, daunting. If you’re seeking a more balanced news diet, “The Times” podcast is for you. Gustavo Arellano, along with a diverse set of reporters from the award-winning L.A. Times newsroom, delivers the most interesting stories from the Los Angeles Times every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. [Listen and subscribe]( wherever you get your podcasts. POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT A new program offers aid to California communities impacted by traffic pollution. Long Beach and Pasadena are among the cities receiving money from a federal fund to redesign their roads. [LAist]( Can California put an end to corporate greenwashing? A new state Senate bill would require the California Air Resources Board to adopt regulations that require big companies that do business in California to publicly reveal their greenhouse gas emissions. It would be the first law in the country like it. [Los Angeles Times]( Here are the housing bills California lawmakers will consider this year. Some of the proposals include letting religious organizations quickly build affordable homes on their excess land and lowering the cap on how much landlords can raise rents each year. [Los Angeles Times]( Support our journalism [Subscribe to the Los Angeles Times.]( ADVERTISEMENT HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT Is the drought over? ‘Mostly but not completely,’ Newsom says. The governor announced the rollback of some of the state’s most severe water restrictions after a wet winter, but urged continued conservation efforts. [New York Times]( And speaking of that wet winter: the Pacific Crest Trail will be more dangerous this year. Experts are warning that the record-setting Sierra Nevada snowpack could cause flash flooding and strong currents. [SFGATE]( CALIFORNIA CULTURE Buy a mansion now, get a free McLaren or Bentley. A voter-approved measure will bring a one-time transfer tax to high-end property sales to fund homelessness prevention and affordable housing construction starting April 1. Many of those who would be affected have spent the last four months devising ways to get out of the so-called “mansion tax.” [Los Angeles Times]( [The empty Salinas Californian newspaper building sits alone in Salinas, Calif.] The empty Salinas Californian newspaper building sits alone in Salinas, Calif. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) As the Salinas Californian withers, a city yearns to know its stories. The 152-year-old news outlet’s sole reporter quit in December, the latest and perhaps final step in a slow-motion unwinding of what used to be the principal local news source in this city of 163,000. Officials and everyday citizens say their community has been diminished by the lack of local news. [Los Angeles Times]( The former Bay Area property of a cult is set to become a luxury retreat. A Nashville hospitality company has big plans for the Marconi Conference Center State Historic Park in West Marin County. [San Francisco Chronicle]( Free online games Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games in our new game center at [latimes.com/games](. AND FINALLY Today’s California landmark is from Dan Ryder of Port Hueneme, Calif.: Sandstone Point on Santa Cruz Island. [A large sandstone cliff on the water at sunrise ] (Courtesy of Dan Ryder) Dan writes: This is Sandstone Point on the far eastern end of Santa Cruz Island. Most people — boaters for the most part — know this as Yellowbanks Anchorage. Whether sunny or foggy, this is always a breathtaking spot, but the very best time to be here is sunrise. I must have 2,000 pictures of this spot in my files and that’s after culling several thousand. What are California’s essential landmarks? [Fill out this form to send us your photos of a special spot in California]( — natural or human-made. Tell us why it’s interesting and what makes it a symbol of life in the Golden State. Please be sure to include only photos taken directly by you. Your submission could be featured in a future edition of the newsletter. Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. ADVERTISEMENT Thank you for reading the Los Angeles Times Essential California newsletter. Invite your friends, relatives, coworkers to sign up [here](. Not a subscriber? Get unlimited digital access to latimes.com. [Subscribe here](. [Los Angeles Times] Copyright © 2023, Los Angeles Times 2300 E. Imperial Highway, El Segundo, California, 90245 [1-800-LA-TIMES](tel:1-800-LA-TIMES) | [latimes.com]( *Advertisers have no control over editorial decisions or content. If you're interested in placing an ad or classified, get in touch [here](. We'd love your feedback on this newsletter. Please send your thoughts and suggestions [here](mailto:newsletters@latimes.com). 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