Even underneath the shade of his legendary father, the spotlight on LeBron “Bronny” James Jr. was perhaps too much for any young player at the start of his professional basketball career — but months later, it seems as though he’s figuring things out his own way.
James played just one unremarkable season for the USC Trojans last year while, just a few miles across downtown Los Angeles from campus, LeBron suited up for the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. Bronny’s decision to enter the NBA Draft was one that was met with resistance, as critics of the 6-foot-3 guard said he was coasting on his name rather than merit.
Nonetheless, he was drafted No. 55 overall to his father’s Lakers, and he made his debut under the microscope usually reserved for a generational talent like San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama. Alongside LeBron, the 20-year-old rookie played about 2 and 1/2 minutes, missing two shots and registering an offensive rebound.
But as Bronny continued to see sparse action in the NBA, it was clear that he needed to develop on the court rather than on the bench. The Lakers created an arrangement for James to split time between the NBA squad and the developmental team in the G League, the South Bay Lakers.
Bronny made his debut for South Bay in November. The beginning of that journey was underwhelming, with a 6 point performance on an inefficient shooting night.
Now, after some time to gel, the noise is beginning to quiet — and Bronny is taking advantage.
In four appearances in December for South Bay, Bronny is averaging 19.5 points per game. Those performances were highlighted with a career-high 30-point game on Dec. 12 against the Valley Suns.
In that game, Bronny was 13-for-23 shooting, including a trio of three-point buckets.
The other three appearances were all 16-point games for the Sierra Canyon alum, with varying levels of efficiency.
In total, he’s shooting 37% from the field in the G League — a less than stellar mark — but his four best games have all been this month, signifying early improvement. He’s also been more aggressive, showing a rise in confidence.
Bronny’s journey through the pros started with a loud and distracting bang, with the lights flashing in downtown L.A. alongside his superstar father.
But in the South Bay, where the team plays in a modest practice facility and the national media isn’t there to dissect every play, the second-round pick can quiet the noise and play his game like the young, developing player we all forgot he is.
Even underneath the shade of his legendary father, the spotlight on LeBron “Bronny” James Jr. was perhaps too much for any young player at the start of his professional basketball career — but months later, it seems as though he’s figuring things out his own way. James played just one unremarkable season for the USC […]
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