Say what you want about Bronny James and whether he deserved to get drafted by the Lakers on his own merit, but this is an extremely mature young man who is easy to root for and is, oh by the way, showing he can be a pretty damn good basketball player in the NBA’s G League.
It’s way too early to tell whether that ever turns into a real role in the NBA. But there’s plenty of reason for optimism as Bronny is averaging 23 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals on better than 45% 3-point over his last three games with the South Bay Lakers.
In 10 total games with South Bay, including the G League showcase, Bronny is averaging better than 16 points and has a pair of 30-point nights, the latest of which was a career-high 31-point showing on Friday night in South Bay’s win over the Rip City Remix.
Bronny made five of his 11 3-pointers and South Bay was plus-12 in his minutes. Over this last three-game span, South Bay has outscored opponents by 16 with him on the court while being outscored by 19 without him.
If you didn’t make it all the way through those highlights, you don’t want to miss this one — an absolute hammer dunk over 6-foot-11 Sterling Manley after Bronny lost 2021 lottery pick James Bouknight with a nasty crossover.
This was Bronny’s first G-League appearance in almost a month as he’s been with the Lakers. He’s not anywhere near the NBA, but when listening to him talk, he’s soaking up all he can with the NBA club and he continues to sound incredibly mature for his age.
Remember, this is a young man who went into sudden cardiac arrest when he was a teenager at USC. His perspective is a breath of fresh air, and his humility and appreciation for the opportunities he’s had in terms of basketball have always been admirable.
There are obviously a lot of advantages that come with being the son of LeBron James, but there are also a lot of uniquely difficult challenges that Bronny has faced and will continue to face. There has never been, and probably never will be, this bright of a spotlight on a guy who was drafted at the end of the second round.
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“I’m just trying to get my confidence back,” Bronny said. “I’m just trying to play my game, learn from every game. While I’m not playing in the G-League, learn from the Lakers, learn from my vets and just keep trying to be myself. It’s been working. I’m happy with. my results right now.”
Asked about the pressures that have come with his particular situation and whether he’s been able to enjoy the process, Bronny said: “I’m having fun. Any time I’m playing basketball, any time I’m out here breathing, any time I’m out there walking, I’m having fun. I’m grateful. I’m down to earth. I’m grateful for everything that’s been given to me.”
This is so impressive because when Bronny doesn’t play well, even in meaningless NBA minutes, he gets very little grace if any at all. He cannot escape the idea that he’s only in this position because of his father, at least not until he proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that he belongs at the highest level, and yet he has never tried to be something he isn’t. He has always had a healthy awareness of the type of role player he can hopefully become in the NBA, with defense at the forefront of his contributions, and he never comes off as entitled. He wants to earn his way.
And he’s showing, at least in limited G-League time, that he can do more than maybe people thought as a scorer/creator and shooter, even if 3-point efficiency has eluded him even in his time in college. It’s a small sample, but he’s made eight of his last 16 3-pointers in the G-League. He’s building on it all. It’s going to be a long process, but it’s pretty refreshing to see him going through it with a smile and level of maturity that makes it really easy to root for him.
