Bronny James deserves bigger Lakers role, but not for his 39 points in G-League, says Gilbert Arenas

Since his arrival in the NBA at the beginning of this season, Bronny James has shown noticeable growth in his game. The latest demonstration of this was his impressive 39-point performance for the South Bay Lakers in the G-League against the Santa Cruz Warriors. This prompted Gilbert Arenas to offer an unexpected explanation as to why the young guard should be given more importance in the NBA.

“Yeah, he deserved it that first week when he sold $50 million worth of jerseys,” he said on his Gil’s Arena podcast. Then, eliciting laughter from his fellow hosts, the former Washington Wizards guard added: “He paid for his father’s contract!”

Indeed, sales of Los Angeles Lakers jerseys with the number 9 on the back and the name “James Jr.” were a massive success. By the end of 2024, more than 500,000 jerseys had been sold, breaking the rookie sales record, which, ironically, was previously held by LeBron James.

“What the (expletive) are we talking about? This is a business too,” Arenas said. “We’re talking about a 55th pick selling $50 million worth of jerseys. He’s good in the Lakers’ eyes. Whatever this kid wants, he’s got. He paid for his father’s contract in a week. It’s about business, man.”

Former Washington Wizards player Gilbert Arenas.

Arenas has defended Bronny before

This isn’t the first time Gilbert Arenas has highlighted the positive impact Bronny James has had for the Lakers during his rookie season. A couple of weeks ago, the three-time NBA All-Star assured that if the young guard had more court time, his performance would be even better.

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“If they played him 36 minutes, he would be averaging 12 points, four rebounds, and four assists,” Arenas said on his podcast. Those numbers come from multiplying the stats Bronny had at the time by the same proportion as his minutes played. “He’d be top 5 for Rookie of the Year,” he concluded.

Bronny James is finding his best version

Bronny James’ performance of 39 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists in 38 minutes against the Santa Cruz Warriors on Monday night was the best he’s had since joining the G-League with the South Bay Lakers. However, this is not the only accomplishment he has achieved recently.

Last Thursday, he also had his best performance in the NBA, posting 17 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists in 30 minutes during the Lakers’ game against the Milwaukee Bucks, which even earned him praise from head coach J.J. Redick.

And this week, after shining with South Bay, Bronny received a seven-word message of congratulations from his father, LeBron James, who on his official X account wrote: “SMILE THROUGH IT ALL YOUNG! KEEP GOING!!!”