Bronny James’ rookie season has been a journey marked by growth, challenges and flashes of promise. While the Los Angeles Lakers have dominated headlines — most notably with the midseason acquisition of Luka Doncic — James’ development has been one of the most compelling storylines of the year.
His transition to professional basketball has not been without its hurdles, facing both criticism and scrutiny, yet his ability to finish the season in strong fashion has proven that his rookie year has been, in many ways, a success.
As the son of NBA legend LeBron James, expectations were always going to be high. However, the 20-year-old’s first season has been a process of patience and development.
With limited minutes in the NBA, he has averaged just 5.5 per game across 25 appearances, leading to modest averages of 2.2 points and a shooting percentage of 34%. While these numbers appear underwhelming, they reflect the typical challenges faced by second-round draft picks transitioning to the NBA.
Despite his limited playing time, Bronny James’ development didn’t stall. Assigned to the Lakers’ G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, he began to show his true potential, eventually.
Though he started the season slowly, averaging 13.4 points and 3.9 assists in the Tip-Off Tournament with a shooting percentage of just 36.6%, his game steadily improved as the season progressed.
In 11 regular-season games in the G League, Bronny James averaged 21.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.9 steals per game, shooting an impressive 38% from three-point range. His scoring ability became more evident with multiple 30-point performances, and his all-around game began to shine.
A standout moment came on March 24, when he scored a career-high 39 points in a win over the Santa Cruz Warriors. He also added seven rebounds, four assists, four steals, and one block — demonstrating his potential as a future NBA contributor.
Amid the inevitable comparisons to his father, the 6-foot-3 guard has shown resilience in the face of criticism. Doubts about his readiness for the NBA and questions about whether he should have pursued college basketball further instead of entering the pros have followed him.
However, Bronny James has used these critiques as motivation, focusing on his work ethic and continuously striving for improvement. As the regular season wound down, lower-drafted players and G League standouts often see more NBA minutes, and Bronny James was no exception.
Just before his G League career-high performance, he scored an NBA career-high 17 points and added five assists in nearly 30 minutes in a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. Shooting 7-of-10 from the field and hitting two three-pointers, the second-round pick demonstrated that he has the tools to play a contributing role at the highest level in the future.
Looking ahead, Bronny James’ rookie season is a testament to his growth and his potential. His time in the G League has been invaluable and will likely continue to play a crucial role in his development. With his natural talent and determination, he’s on track to become a rotation player for the Lakers in the coming years.
As the Lakers focus on a deep postseason run and the G League playoffs conclude, Bronny James’ development will shift toward the Summer League, where the next chapter of his journey will unfold.
