From the moment Bronny James was selected as the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, all eyes have been on him. As the son of NBA all-time leading scorer and basketball icon LeBron James, expectations have been sky-high for the young player who was chosen in the second round.
Bronny’s NBA journey began with just three minutes of playing time during the Lakers’ season opener against the Timberwolves. Despite limited action, the criticism came swiftly for the 20-year-old. Much of his rookie season has been spent developing his skills with the Lakers’ G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, where he has shown noticeable improvement.
In an interview with The Athletic’s Joe Vardon, Bronny reflected on the scrutiny he faces daily and how he channels it into growth. “My first thought about everything is I always try to just let it go through one ear and out the other, put my head down and come to work and be positive every day,” James said. “But sometimes it just, it fuels me a little bit”.
While Bronny hears the chatter, he uses it as motivation to prove himself. “I see everything that people are saying, and people think, like, I’m a f— robot, like I don’t have any feelings or emotions,” he added.
Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers in the second half of play against the San Antonio Spurs at Crypto.com Arena. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
“But I just take that and use it as fuel for me to go out, wake up every day and get to the gym early, get my extra work in, watch my extra film every day, get better every day,” Bronny continued. “That’s what Rob [Pelinka] wants me to do as a young guy, coming in, playing in the G League and learning from far on the bench watching the Lakers play”.
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Lakers’ Bronny James shares thoughts after playing career-high 16 minutes vs. Nuggets
Bronny sees progress in his game
In the Lakers’ 131-126 loss to the Nuggets, Bronny logged a career-high 16 minutes on the court. During that stretch, he scored five points, grabbed two rebounds, and recorded a steal. More importantly, his overall gameplay showed significant improvement compared to earlier appearances.
“I definitely think I’ve improved, not only as a player, but just having a different mindset as a player to go out and play my game and play the game that I know how to play,” Bronny explained. “I feel really good about it — I see the progress”.
JJ Redick highlights Bronny’s playmaking growth
Even Lakers head coach JJ Redick acknowledged the strides Bronny has made, particularly in his playmaking ability. Redick emphasized Bronny’s development both as a scorer and a decision-maker.
“His biggest area of improvement is probably his playmaking, and I don’t just mean that in terms of passing, but just his ability to play on and off the ball as a decision-maker — either a scorer or a passer,” Redick told The Athletic’s Joe Vardon.
