Bronny James‘ first steps in the NBA have not been easy. He fulfilled his dream of playing alongside his father LeBron in the basketball elite, but it quickly became clear that his level was not yet up to the demands of the league. That’s why the Los Angeles Lakers decided that the young guard would join South Bay, the franchise’s G-League affiliate, to gain more experience there and improve his game.
The strategy was initially for Bronny to play only South Bay’s home. And that’s what has happened so far: he’s been in three of the team’s games this season, and all of them were at UCLA Health Training Center. However, that’s apparently about to change.
According to reporter Shams Charania, Bronny James will play his first G-League away game this Thursday. The game will be at Arizona’s Mullett Arena against the Valley Suns, the Phoenix Suns‘ affiliate team. “James began the G League season shuttling between the Lakers and South Bay home games, but sides kept door open the opportunity for road contests,” Charania wrote on his official X account.
For Bronny, it will be the third game after recovering from a left heel contusion that sidelined him for a few weeks. His return was last Saturday, when he played 22 minutes against the San Diego Clippers in the G-League and rounded off his best performance of the season with 16 points, 4 rebounds and two assists. The next day he played 3 minutes for the Lakers against the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA.
Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers signals to a teammate during the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on October 30, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Lakers 134-110.
How has Bronny fared this year?
Obviously Bronny James’ performances in the 2024-25 season must be divided between the NBA and the G-League, considering the notorious contrast in competitive level between the two tournaments, and the different role the guard has within each of the teams.
With the Los Angeles Lakers, Bronny played 7 games, averaging 2.7 minutes on the court. His numbers are, of course, very low: 0.6 points per game (he only scored two points against Cleveland and another two vs. Memphis), 0.1 rebounds and 0.3 assists.
With South Bay, it’s appropriate to expect more from James. And that’s where he really disappointed in his first few appearances: through three games played, he averaged 8.7 points, 2.7 assists and 3.0 rebounds. However, his last performance was his best and that could have been a decisive fact for the Lakers to change the strategy and decide to give him more time in the G-League.
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South Bay’s season so far
The South Bay Lakers could use all the help they can get. In the 2024-25 G-League season they have not gotten off to a good start and after 12 games sit in second to last place in the West Region with a 4-8 record. This Thursday they will face the Valley Suns, the group leaders, so Bronny’s contribution could be really useful for them.
