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In his first two games with the South Bay Lakers, Bronny James averaged a paltry 5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3 assists and a block from 28.5 minutes as a starter.
In his season debut against the Salt Lake City Stars on November 9, James finished with 6 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists while shooting 2-of-9 from the field and 0-of-4 from three. Then, against the Stockton Kings on November 17, James shot 2-0f-10 from the floor and finished with 4 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists.
James’ struggles with the Lakers’ G League affiliate led to fan backlash on social media. One fan with the X username Apex Jones argued that James “hasn’t left USC,” referring to the son of LeBron James averaging similar numbers in his freshman season.
The fan made the comments while citing a March 2023 tweet from LeBron James in which the Lakers star declared that his son is “definitely better” than a lot of NBA talents.
The same fan also called out Bronny’s father for placing undue pressure on him.
Another fan, Mike Ponti, made the harsh assessment that Bronny has “no talent” and is a “NEPO Baby” who should have never been drafted into the NBA.
Another fan blamed the G League announcers for incessantly hyping Bronny even as other South Bay Lakers played scored 20 or more points.
One fan wrote that Bronny “isn’t that good” and his subpar performances in the G League are par for the course.
Another fan made a similar point.
Lakers Slammed For Preferential Treatment
Despite being assigned to the G League, Bronny appeared in only the team’s first two home games at the UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, CA. According to multiple insiders, Bronny will only appear in the team’s home games and return to the Lakers roster every time the South Bay Lakers go on the road.
“From my understanding he’s [Bronny] only going to play in the South Bay Lakers home games,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on “The Hoop Collective” podcast on November 13. “That he’s only gonna kinda be a part-time G League player, and he’s not getting on United Airlines and going to fly and play in these road games. Honestly, I knew he was getting so much special treatment and nepotism — honestly, that’s fine, I don’t care, that’s normal. Now I actually think it’s detrimental to him.”
Former NFL star Ryan Clark blasted the Lakers’ preferential treatment of Bronny, the player they drafted No. 55 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Will Bronny James Succeed As an NBA Pro?
“What has Bronny earned?” Clark asked on “The Pivot” podcast. “He should be begging his organization, & if need be his father to let him play. He should want to prove himself to his teammates, his organization. More importantly, prove it to himself that he belongs! It’s a feeling we all chase, & right now they won’t even put him in the race.”
Clark also felt the Lakers didn’t want Bronny to fly commercial airlines like the rest of his G League teammates, enforcing their decision to play him in only home games.
Despite Bronny’s early struggles in both the NBA and the G League, many analysts still believe the 20-year-old has the physical tools to emerge as a serviceable pro. In his limited chances with the Lakers, Bronny showed flashes of a lockdown defender capable of switching and guarding multiple positions.
If Bronny can continue to grow as a perimeter defender, he could become a defensive-minded guard in the NBA in the vein of Derrick White or Jrue Holiday. Bronny earlier compared his skillsets to those Celtics guards and said he was modeling his game after them. Incidentally, even Lakers head coach JJ Redick sees a similar trajectory for Bronny.
“We’re really happy with his progress,” Redick said of Bronny on October 6, via Lakers Nation. “The kid, he can do some things defensively at his size that are really unique and can, I think turn into a really disruptive defender.”
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