Just four days after delivering a standout performance in the NBA, Bronny James took to the G League and lit up the court once again. On Monday night, playing for the South Bay Lakers, the rookie showcased his talent by scoring a personal best of 39 points. This impressive feat helped secure a 122-118 victory against the Santa Cruz Warriors at the UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo.
Bronny was on fire, hitting 14 of his 21 shots, with four of those being three-pointers. He also filled the stat sheet with four assists, four steals, and a block over his 38 minutes of play. However, he did have seven turnovers, which matched a personal high for him.
Proud dad LeBron James couldn’t resist sharing a clip of his son’s memorable night on social media, captioning it with, “SMILE THROUGH IT ALL YOUNG [prince]!!!”
Just a few days prior, Bronny played 30 minutes for the Lakers while some key players, including LeBron and Luka Doncic, were sidelined. During that game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Bronny managed a career-best 17 points and five assists, despite the team’s 118-89 loss. This performance sparked some reflection from ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, who admitted he “might have been wrong” about Bronny’s readiness for the NBA.
However, when Bronny returned to the Lakers on Saturday, he found himself in a limited role, scoring two points on 0-for-4 shooting in just seven minutes, as the team fell 146-115 to the Chicago Bulls. On the same day Bronny returned to South Bay, the Lakers continued their slump, losing 118-106 to the Orlando Magic.
With the Lakers currently on a three-game losing streak, the question of whether they’ll give Bronny more minutes looms. So far, he’s averaged just 2.3 points and 5.9 minutes in 23 games with the team. In the G League, however, he’s thriving, having previously set his personal best with 31 points in a game against the Rip City Remix back in January. In his G League appearances, he’s averaging 22.4 points across 10 games.
Reflecting on his time in the G League after his dominant showing against Santa Cruz, Bronny expressed his motivations during an interview with Spectrum SportsNet. “Just that I belong out there,” he said. “That’s all I’m trying to prove. A lot of people say I don’t, but I just come out, work every day, try to get better every day and prove myself every day.” He added that shutting down criticism and continuing to push forward is immensely satisfying.
In other sports news, subscribe to The Sports Report for a daily roundup of highlights from the L.A. sports scene and beyond. This article was initially published in the Los Angeles Times.
