Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James had his best game in the NBA G League on Thursday night.
In the South Bay Lakers’ 106-100 loss to the Valley Suns, James finished with 30 points, three rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block in 25 minutes. He was 13-for-23 overall and 3-for-9 on 3-pointers in what was his G League road debut.
His 30-point showing comes a game after he registered his previous career high with 16 points in 22 minutes in a 119-111 win against the San Diego Clippers on Dec. 7.
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, the No. 55 overall pick in the 2024 Draft, has been with South Bay since the Los Angeles Lakers assigned him there after the team’s season opener. Bronny, the 20-year-old son of LeBron James, appeared in four games for the Lakers, scoring four points in 13 combined minutes of action.
LeBron and Bronny made NBA history on Oct. 22 when they became the first father and son to play together during the Lakers’ season-opening win over Minnesota. Bronny then scored his first NBA basket for the Lakers in Cleveland on Oct. 30 at the arena where he watched his father as a child.
LeBron and Lakers coach J.J. Redick have said repeatedly that Bronny will spend ample time this season in the G League as he works on his game. The Lakers affiliate plays its games at the team’s training complex.
“Our plans are always fluid based on real time,” Reddick said in late October. “The plan for Bronny to move between the Lakers and South Bay has always been the plan since day one. (Lakers general manager) Rob (Pelinka) and I have talked about that. LeBron’s talked about that.”
Bronny scored six points in his G League debut — a 110-96 win against the Salt Lake City Stars on Nov. 9 — while LeBron watched the game from courtside seats on the opposite side of the main stands with his wife, Savannah, and their 10-year old daughter Zuri.
Gloria James, Bronny’s grandmother, was also in attendance for that game, along with Pelinka, Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell.
The South Bay Lakers will complete their back-to-back against the Valley Suns on Dec. 13, in Tempe before heading to the NBA G League Winter Showcase in Orlando (Dec. 19-22).
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
