Lakers' Bronny James sounds off on return to Cleveland as G League player
12/31/2024 03:10 PM
Since leaving Ohio in 2019, Bronny James only played basketball in his home state once before Oct. 30, when he recorded five garbage time minutes against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Two months later, James played in a more meaningful game in Cleveland as a member of the South Bay Lakers of the NBA G-League.
The South Bay Lakers faced the Canton Charge twice on consecutive days on Dec. 27 and Dec. 28. James played a total of 63 minutes across the two games, much to the delight of the crowd. After the game, James called his return to Cleveland “special.”
“Special,” James said, via SB Nation. “You could just feel the energy coming from the fans for me. It's just an amazing feeling.”
James scored 16 points in his first game against the charge before dropping 23 the following night. He fell one rebound short of a double-double in the second game. Despite his affiliation with the Lakers, the crowd at the Public Auditorium cheered at his every move.
James’ two returns to Cleveland in 2024 were both significantly friendlier than his father’s. LeBron James’ infamous return to the city in 2010 after signing with the Miami Heat still stands as one of the most hostile environments in league history.
Both LeBron and Bronny James were born and raised in Akron, Ohio, roughly a 44-minute drive from Cleveland. However, while LeBron attended St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Bronny transferred to Sierra Canyon ahead of his 9th-grade year shortly after his father signed with Los Angeles.
Lakers’ Bronny James finding success in G-League
With 2024 coming to an end, Bronny James has appeared in nine games with the South Bay Lakers: seven in the G-League Tip-Off Tournament, and two in the regular season. He has averaged 14.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.
James’ two regular season G-League games have been the best performances of his professional career. Both were against the Charge, one of which he also recorded a season-high 33 minutes.
Overall, South Bay has been led by guard Maxwell Lewis, who was recently traded to the Brooklyn Nets with D’Angelo Russell. However, in just their two regular season games, James has been the team’s leading scorer, averaging 19 points per contest. In that frame, James also leads the team in assists with 5.0 per game and is third with 8.0 rebounds per game.
The South Bay Lakers’ roster also includes NBA veterans DeVonte’ Graham and Jordan Goodwin. Two-way guard Quincy Olivari also headlines the roster, though he has yet to appear in a regular season contest.
The post Lakers’ Bronny James sounds off on return to Cleveland as G League player appeared first on ClutchPoints.
