Bronny James may be a second-round pick that was drafted near the tail-end of the 2024 NBA Draft, but there is more scrutiny and spotlight on him than even most professional basketball players due to the name he carries. He is the firstborn son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James after all, and he, in fact, carries the same name. Alas, Bronny is nowhere near the caliber of player his father is, which leads to some unfair criticism from pundits towards him.
Nevertheless, Bronny flashed some potential in his rookie campaign with the Lakers. He did show some promise as a potential 3-and-D guard who can feature prominently in a winning team's rotation, although it's clear that he still needs to put in a ton of work on his game. And this is exactly what he's doing for the Lakers during the 2025 NBA Summer League in Vegas — with his father, LeBron, working closely with him as caught in some footage from ClutchPoints' Tomer Azarly.
The Lakers ended up losing on Monday to their in-city rival Los Angeles Clippers, 67-58, although no one can say that Bronny did not have a good game. He finished with 17 points on 6-10 shooting from the field (3-5 from three), adding five rebounds and five assists to his tally as he finished tied with Christian Koloko with a team-high plus/minus of plus-five.
Bronny has always thrived against lower-level competition, as evidenced by his stellar performances last year for the Lakers' G-League affiliate. It's now a matter of putting it together on the NBA-level. And with one of the hardest working players (and fathers) by his side in LeBron, no one should discount what kind of impact Bronny could make for LA, as soon as for the upcoming season.
It may not have been the career pundits envisioned for someone who bears the LeBron James name, but if Bronny becomes anywhere close to the player Derrick White has become, it would be a major win. White also received plenty of G-League reps in his rookie year as he struggled in the NBA, but in Year 2, he started to become a productive player, and now, he's one of the best three-point shooting, defensive guards in the association.
LeBron, at the very least, is not wishing for his son to be like him. That is too tall of an order. But if Bronny works on his game and manages to make himself an elite role player like White is, then that would be a huge win already.
