Bronny James Says No. 9 Jersey Is Tribute To Juice WRLD

Bronny James is opening up on his decision to rock No. 9 in the NBA ... confirming he chose it to honor late musician Juice WRLD.

LeBron's eldest son faced the media for the first time as a Los Angeles Laker on Tuesday ... and after fielding several questions about his relationship with his four-time champion pops, who was in attendance for the presser, he explained how the digit he'll sport during games was far from random.

"Juice has just been a big part of me, keeping calm in some situations that I've been through," 19-year-old Bronny said minutes ago. "So yeah, just paying homage to him especially because he passed. It's a really important thing for me."

There was a lot of speculation that was the case when the Lakers announced Bronny's number last week ... especially considering he has a 999 tattoo behind his ear -- which Juice also had on his body.

999 symbolizes the inversion of the "mark of the beast" ... and Juice previously said it meant "taking whatever ill, whatever bad situation, whatever struggle you’re going through and turning it into something positive to push yourself forward."

Juice was one of the top young artists when he died of an accidental overdose at just 21 years old in December 2019 ... a loss that left a major impact on the music industry.

Bronny addressed the pressure he'll face as the son of one of the greatest to ever play basketball ... saying it's something he's always dealt with and will get through it -- just as he has done his entire career.