JJ Redick has yet to see how LeBron James‘ son Bronny settles in with the Los Angeles Lakers, but the rookie head coach already sees in an established NBA player things we could expect from the 19-year-old.
During an appearance on Sirius XM NBA Radio, Redick admitted that not only he’s been impressed by Lu Dort of the Oklahoma City Thunder, revealing he imagines Bronny could become like him.
“We were at the Canada-USA basketball exhibition game. And I turned to one of our assistant coaches during the game. And I said, ‘I think Lu Dort just single handedly broke up the eighth possession of the game.’ Like, his impact. You can’t get into your offense. Sometimes, the shot clock winds down because of his ball pressure. He literally blows up entire plays because of that pressure. And I really believe this. Bronny will eventually be that guy,” Redick said, via the NY Post.
Even though Bronny is smaller than Dort, the comparison could make sense if we consider both are stronger in defense than in offense. Dort went undrafted in 2019, but earned a spot with the Thunder through high defensive work rate. Redick hopes LeBron’s son gets to do something similar in LA.
Bronny James Jr. #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on against the Sacramento Kings during the first half of the 2024 California Classic summer league game at Chase Center
“You have to be a guy that’s a ball hawk at all times,” Redick said. “We’re going to develop his shot. We’re going to develop his ball skills. He’s already got a great feel. He has a really good, instinctive nature on the defensive end.”
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JJ Redick has a piece of advice for Bronny James
While Redick hopes Bronny can make the best of his defensive abilities to make a name for himself in the NBA, the Lakers coach also reminded the USC Trojans product to enjoy the moment and not to listen to the outside noise, which is loud as we’re talking about LeBron James‘ eldest son.
“I think you just have to let go of outcomes, and you just have to enjoy the process of being in the NBA,” Redick said of Bronny. “He’s obviously case study No. 1. He’s going to be a big part of what we do in our player development program. We’re going to invest heavily in him. He’s got to fall in love with that process and let go of outcomes.”
