Bronny James is Showing His Critics How They Are Wrong
After well played games against the Hawks and Cavaliers in the 2K25 NBA Summer League, Bronny James is showing his critics wrong and that he may be NBA ready
After Bronny James was selected with the fifty-fifth overall pick in this past year’s draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, we all started to put a lot of pressure on this guy. I mean, he’s LeBron James’ son. He’s LeBron James Jr., and because he followed in his father’s footsteps and became an NBA player, it’s normal for everyone to talk bad about him if he doesn’t play his best. As shown in the Summer League, James Jr. may not even be NBA ready, and that’s okay. He’s the fifty-fifth overall pick, and we are treating and talking about him like he’s the number one selection. By no means is he Zaccharie Risacher, but we all have huge expectations for him because of his name.
In this article, I will be discussing Bronny’s overall stat line in the Summer League, how he is getting better and what he needs to do to succeed in the league, how NBA players think of him, and most importantly, if he is NBA ready.
Bronny’s Statlines
In the NBA 2K25 Summer League, Bronny James averaged 8.8 points per game, 3.5 rebounds, one assist, and shot 35% from the field. Not the greatest stat line ever, but for the fifty-fifth overall pick, not bad at all.
James Jr. also scored more points in the Summer League than the second overall pick, Alex Sarr. Sarr went 0-15 from the field in one game, and seven of those shots were threes. This ultimately led the former Perth Wildcat to change his number from 12 to 20, which he wore in OTE and in Australia before joining the NBA. This shows that though Bronny hasn’t played as well as people might think, he’s doing better than the player many believe can be a starter on day one.
In his last two games against Atlanta and Cleveland, James Jr. scored his two highest points in a Lakers uniform: 12 against the Hawks and 13 against his father’s old team, the Cavaliers. Bronny played decently in these games, but what have players said about him so far?
To answer this question, let’s go back to when Bronny’s father, now teammate, and Lakers star, LeBron James, tweeted this:
Ummmmm…. well actually, he kinda has a point.
Though Bronny hasn’t even played a second on a real NBA floor where games actually count (I mean, you want to win the Summer League, but it doesn’t really matter other than winning a ring that no one cares about), he still might be better.
There are some guys who, in my opinion, don’t deserve a spot in the league. Now, I’m not going to name these guys, but I’ll give you a hint: one may or may not be on a team based in New York.
Now, what Jaylen Brown said about Bronny was certainly unexpected. I’m sure he didn’t know he was on camera as he was having a conversation with his new girlfriend, Kysre Gondrezick, and her former WNBA teammate, Chicago Sky’s future star, Angel Reese. Here’s a video on YouTube where Jaylen Brown was caught saying this about Bronny:
So, NBA players clearly think Bronny isn’t NBA ready, but do some NBA players believe he is?
Well, Oklahoma City Thunder player, Chet Holmgren, took notice of the hate and said this on X.com:
This tweet comes after Bronny had his best game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
What Bronny James Needs to Do to Succeed in the NBA
Because it is now clear that Bronny would be happy with any assignment with the Lakers next season, he will definitely play in the G-League for some games. As Jaylen Brown said, sure he’s going to play next to his dad in the NBA as well, but that may just be because of his name.
I think if James Jr. plays mostly in the G-League for his first season with Los Angeles, he will learn a lot and develop better as a playmaker on offense and can show off his elite skills on the defensive side of the ball. In his second year, he would play mostly in the NBA but some games with the South Bay Lakers (Lakers affiliate), and then his third season wouldn’t require any G-League time.
But, the Big Question Is… Is He NBA Ready?
We don’t know.
After he was pulled from the Lakers vs. Bulls Summer League finale, it is hard to tell how good he will be. The last game, if he had played against the Bulls, would have told a lot about his future and how much he needs to develop as a player. Just because he had two promising performances doesn’t mean he is necessarily ready for the league.
I believe Bronny will develop well as a player, and his comparison is to Davion Mitchell. Mitchell has been lackluster on offense so far in his career but has played well on defense. I predict Bronny will have a similar start, but with the right training, he can become a good three-point shooter and offensive player.