A vital part of Bronny James’ development as a player began tonight. James made his debut for the South Bay Lakers as they took on the Salt Lake City Stars. He had some familiar faces in the form of Quincy Olivari and Jalen Hood-Schifino on the court alongside him.
After the game, Quincy Olivari was asked about his performance. However, he chose to give Bronny his flowers instead.
“I was just happy to see Bronny get out there and show the world that he can play. I’m a big advocate on pushing that he’s a great player and the criticism he gets is unfair.”
I asked Quincy Olivari about his performance. Instead, he gave Bronny his flowers: “I was just happy to see Bronny get out there and show the world that he can play. I’m a big advocate on pushing that he’s a great player and the criticism he gets is unfair.” #Lakeshow pic.twitter.com/GyApaJq8aq
— LoJo Media (@LoJoMedia) November 10, 2024
Bronny James didn’t have the best time on the court tonight though. He recorded six points on 2-of-9 shooting. James could not knock down any shots from the deep, going 0-for-4 from 3s.
| Bronny James Stats (Nov 9, 2024) | |
| Points | 6 |
| Field Goals | 2/9 |
| FG% | 22.2% |
| 3-Pointers | 0/4 |
| 3P % | 0% |
| Free Throws | 1-1 |
| FT% | 100% |
| Rebounds | 3 |
| Assists | 4 |
| Steals | 2 |
| Blocks | 1 |
| +/- | -1 |
Bronny was highly regarded for his shooting, coming into the NBA Draft Combine. So far we haven’t seen him knock shots down at the level the scouts expected him to. However, he’s only played a handful of games so far, and hasn’t gotten sufficient playing time. Playing in the G League, Bronny will get a chance to hone his skills and get confidence back in his shooting.
Once Bronny proves himself in the G League and starts performing consistently, we might see JJ Redick give him minutes in Lakers games. For now, LeBron James Jr. needs to do is keep his head down and keep working.