The Los Angeles Lakers' Bronny James has gone viral in the basketball community after a heated verbal exchange with a Detroit Pistons fan during his team's visit to the Motor City on Sunday.

The Lakers, without superstar Luka Dončić for the game at the Little Caesars Arena, managed to improve to an impressive 9-2 record for the 2025/26 NBA season thanks to Austin Reaves putting up 43 points in a 121-116 victory.

The win for the Western Conference side kicks off a four-game road trip for JJ Reddick's team, which will also see them travel to face the Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns.

However, much of the discourse around the Lakers following the game was about what the son and former teammate of NBA superstar LeBron James said to the Pistons fan that was sitting court side for the game.

The now widely-shared footage shows Bronny asking a female fan what the fan had said to him after she blurted out something deemed offensive towards him.

Bronny James Goes Viral After Mocking Courtside Fan

James is then seen supposedly mocking the female Pistons fan's physical state, asking her: "Can you run a mile?", before questioning how wealthy she is, saying: "How much money are you making?"

Following the exchange, Bronny is shown being calmed down by Lakers staff and his teammates, while the Pistons fan was being spoken to by a member of security, before being ejected from the venue.

This is not the first instance that Bronny has been targeted by opposition team fans since being drafted by the Lakers with the 55th overall pick in 2024.

He was involved in a similar situation in his rookie season, when he got into an argument with a Los Angeles Clippers fan while he was sitting on the Lakers bench,

The decision by the Lakers to trade for Bronny sparked widespread criticism as many felt it was based purely on nepotism and fulfilling LeBron James' wish to suit up alongside his son in an NBA game.

The father-son duo made history on October 22, 2024, with the two of them featuring on the court at the same time for the Lakers against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

What Has Happened to Bronny James Since His Dad LeBron Left the Lakers?

LeBron, one of the greatest NBA players of all time, has since moved on from Los Angeles, as he made the switch to the Philadelphia 76ers this past off-season, and has helped steer the Eastern Conference team to a strong 9-2 start to the season.

Bronny was recently assigned to the Lakers' G-League affiliate team, the Coachella Valley Lakers, alongside rookie Cameron Carr, after previously spending time in his first two seasons in the developmental league of the NBA.

However, he spent time on the bench with the Lakers in Detroit as he and Carr are traveling with the team for the current four-game road trip.

Reddick has assigned Bronny to the G-League in order for him to pick up minutes on the court as that would be difficult with the senior group.

Bronny showed his worth in Coachella Valley's season-opener against the Salt Lake City Stars, scoring 22 points and registering seven assists and five rebounds in a 104-98 triumph.