Los Angeles Lakers rookie guard Bronny James made quite the statement in his road G League debut.
In his highest-scoring offensive performance above the high school level, James scored 30 points on 13-of-23 shooting (3-for-9 from 3) in the South Bay Lakers’ 106-100 loss to the Valley Suns on Thursday night. James added three rebounds, two assists, one steal, one block and two turnovers in 25 minutes.
James showed off a variety of skills, draining two off-the-dribble 3-pointers, catching an alley-oop off a backdoor cut, finishing multiple times at the rim through traffic, drilling a couple of mid-range jumpers, and blocking a 3-pointer.
A career-high night for Bronny James! The @Lakers draftee made his road debut, scoring a game-high 30 points on 57% shooting. Bronny, coming off a previous career-high of 16 points, is now averaging 14 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 2.5 APG. 👏🙌 pic.twitter.com/5QnpeEZQTp
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) December 13, 2024
James’ appearance in Tempe, Ariz., was a reversal of the Lakers’ previous stance of James only playing in home G League games. The decision has drawn criticism for the perceived preferential treatment for James, the No. 55 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and the son of Lakers superstar LeBron James.
“That was the decision at the time,” a league source told The Athletic on Wednesday. They added that “more reps are good” for James.
Entering the game, the 20-year-old had been averaging 8.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.0 blocks and 2.0 turnovers on 29.4/0.0/100 shooting splits across his three G League appearances. James had set his previous G League career-high of 16 points on Saturday against the San Diego Clippers.
James recently missed several weeks due to a bone bruise in his left heel. He has appeared in seven games for the Lakers, totaling four points, one rebound, two assists, one steal and one block in 18 minutes.
Required reading
- Jerseys worn by LeBron and Bronny James in historic first NBA game together sell for $102,000
(Photo: Barry Gossage / Getty Images)
