Lakers' Bronny James Makes 1st Career NBA Start as LeBron, Luka Doncic Sit vs. Blazers

Bronny James will accomplish a new career milestone in the Los Angeles Lakers' season finale on Sunday.

With the team resting its regular starters like LeBron James, Luka Dončić and others, head coach J.J. Redick gave the rookie the starting nod for the first time in his career.

The matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers should give James the chance to pick up some valuable minutes before the postseason starts.

James saw limited action during his rookie season, appearing in 26 games and playing just 5.5 minutes per contest. He averaged 2.2 points in the few minutes he received.

While he didn't get to showcase his talent at the NBA level this year, he made the most of his time in the G League. In 11 games with the South Bay Lakers, James put up 21.9 points, 5.4 assists and 5.2 rebounds. His scoring was on full display in March when he dropped 39 points for South Bay just days after posting 17 points for Los Angeles.

There were plenty of fans who doubted whether James would be able to find a place in the NBA, but considering the Lakers got him late in the second round, James had a strong rookie year.

Sunday's matchup against the Blazers will likely be one of James' final outings this year. As the playoffs start, the Lakers will have to keep their typical rotation on the court as much as possible as they try to make a deep postseason run.

Los Angeles clinched both the third seed in the West and the Pacific division earlier this weekend. Now the Lakers await their first-round opponent as the final games of the regular season wrap up.