Exclusive: Bronny James gives take on his process so far
Yesterday at 09:24 AM
Following a long absence of recovering from a left heel contusion, it was announced that Bronny James would play in his first road game for the G League South Bay Lakers. The whole process surrounding his situation has been heavily scrutinized since his draft selection. Many questioned whether there was any semblance of a developmental plan in place.
In a ClutchPoints exclusive interview, Bronny discussed how he feels that process has gone.
“Yeah, I think it's good. Just game by game, trying to learn everything I can. Always just staying aggressive. Playing my game. Playing for my teammates and coaches. It's been good so far"
Bronny has suited up in only five of the team’s 15 games, splitting time with the Lakers and South Bay. Following the opening night moment when he and his father, LeBron James, made history, his minutes with the parent team have been relegated to garbage time situations. Those minutes do little to help the basketball player grow.
No matter how you envision his career panning out, deciding to sit him out of road games was a mistake. Staying down in the G-League will quiet some of the naysayers.
Bronny’s recent play also did a lot of talking. He dropped a career-high 30 points on an efficient 13-23 from the field in the first of a back-to-back against the Valley Suns. His previous high was 16, recorded just a few days before in a home win against the San Diego Clippers.
He had been 0-of-10 from shots outside the arc to start the season but knocked down three in a row right away. While carrying the South Bay Lakers offense, he showed off the athleticism people hoped for coming out of USC. He slipped back door for a fantastic alley-oop in the half court. Followed it with an impressive late-game block called and reviewed as a foul. The intangibles in the genes mixed with the athleticism started to pop.
Poetry in motion! @Lakers rookie Bronny James got UP for an alley-oop slam as part of a career-high 30-point night while on assignment with the @SouthBayLakers
Catch Bronny and South Bay in action again vs. @GLeagueSuns TONIGHT at 9 PM/ET on @Tubipic.twitter.com/AhYdusUkAk
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) December 13, 2024
From fading shots in the paint to pull-up threes, the jumper showed as much promise as ever. He filled up the stat sheet with remarkable contact finishes at the rim, even letting out some emotion.
Attacking the basket opens everything up, Bronny says.
"Just getting downhill. It opens up everything for me. Still got to kick down more threes but just staying aggressive on the offense end, and building that energy up for the defensive end."
The handle looks tighter, and you can see the confidence grow—all things you would expect from a player who missed a year due to a cardiac health issue. The Lakers and his believers hope the pedigree and first-round potential returns with every repetition.
Bronny followed it up with his third straight double-digit night. A couple of pull-up threes got him 16 points, but he struggled to find the mark with a 6-of-20 shooting game. These highs and lows fill the road to a productive NBA player.
Whether Bronny turns into an NBA player won’t be answered this year, but minutes in the G-League is undoubtedly the quickest path to get there.
The Lakers signed Bronny to a four-year deal this summer. How many of those will be next to LeBron remains to be seen, but a big part of the developmental process is the unwavering support shown on the sidelines. LeBron and the James family have been there for all three home games so far. That support is everything, says Bronny.
“It means a lot. He's been there since I've been playing in middle school, so it's always good to have him give me pointers or just overlook me playing the game I love."
With Bronny set to spend more time with South Bay, we should see LeBron on many more sidelines in El Segundo.
What’s next for Bronny James?
The G League will host their winter showcase in Orlando from December 19-22. The next regular season game for South Bay is a back-to-back in Cleveland on December 27-28.
The post Exclusive: Bronny James gives take on his process so far appeared first on ClutchPoints.
