Lakers News: JJ Redick believes Bronny James could improve by learning from two NBA players

Bronny James is preparing for his second NBA season with the Los Angeles Lakers after a quiet rookie campaign. The son of the league’s all-time leading scorer is aiming for a bigger role this year, and head coach JJ Redick believes James can take a major step forward by modeling his approach after two specific NBA players.

Redick says the key for Bronny starts with conditioning. “The biggest thing for Bronny is that he has to get in elite shape,” Redick told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “That’s the barrier of entry for him right now. And if he does that, I think he’s got a chance to be a really fantastic player in the NBA”.

To help unlock his potential, Redick pointed to two of the league’s hardest-working, high-motor guards — Miami Heat’s Davion Mitchell and Indiana Pacers’ T.J. McConnell — as examples for Bronny to follow.

“On every single possession, they’re in the game — whether that’s offensively or defensively — they’re able to impact it with how hard they play,” Redick noted. “With the defensive pickup points, the disruption, being able to get downhill … I think we have all seen these amazing flashes of it from Bronny. And to get to that next level for him, it’s cardio fitness. He’s cleared”.

Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks is guarded by Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers in the first half of a 2025 NBA Summer League game. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Redick also acknowledged Bronny’s unique challenges, including his recovery from the cardiac arrest he suffered during a USC workout last summer, but remains optimistic about his future.

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“I get that there’s a history there of a really scary thing that he had to live through, and I think it’s tough to push past certain points for him, but he’s going to get there. He’s going to get there,” he added.

Signs of progress are already showing. After appearing in just 27 games as a rookie with the Lakers and averaging 2.3 points in 6.7 minutes, Bronny turned heads in the NBA Summer League by averaging 13.0 points, 3.3 assists, and 2.7 rebounds on 44.8% shooting across four games.