LAS VEGAS — In the first game of the season, the Los Angeles Lakers rookie guard Brony James curled off a screen and sank a 17-foot pullup jumper, drawing roars from the Lakers-friendly crowd at the Thomas & Mack Center.
That shot also provided some much-needed relief for James, the 55th overall pick in the 2024 draft who had struggled through the first four summer league games, averaging 4.3 points on 22.6 percent field goal percentage, including of missing all 15 of his 3-point attempts.
The fights for his son LeBron James he buckled under the enormous weight of attention his game drew in two games at the California Classic in San Francisco and the Lakers’ first three games in Las Vegas, his every move scrutinized and the crowd groaning every time he missed a layup. shot. or passed the ball.
On Wednesday, the Lakers beat the Atlanta Hawks 87-86 to earn their first win of the 2024 Summer League, starting 0-5. And the younger James played his best game yet, finishing with 12 points — 9 in the first half — on 5-of-11 shooting, including sinking 2-of-5 attempts from beyond the arc. James also sank a clutch 3-pointer late in the game to tie the score and the Lakers clinched the win with a defensive stop in the final seconds.
“I feel like I know the right way to play,” James said. “So if I go out there and play my game every game, results like that will come.”
In a way, it serves as the first NBA win of any kind for the 19-year-old James.
“My mom, my dad really help me, encouraging me to stay focused and keep being myself,” James said, calling his parents his support system. “So I feel like that’s a big part of how I came out [tonight].”
He also noted that his father has been watching from the sidelines while he was with Team USA and that the elder James has offered advice.
“Just stay aggressive,” James said his father told him. “Even though my shot isn’t falling, I’m just staying aggressive.”
James acknowledged the crowd’s presence and overall impact and said he’s leaned on his family even more, adding that he’s “just trying to stay healthy.”
“It’s something,” he said with an all-attention smile, “but it’s something I have to deal with if I’m going to play at this level.”
Zachary Risacherthe Hawks’ No. 1 overall pick was out, as was the Lakers’ first-round draft pick Dalton Knecht.
Lakers center Colin Castleton led the team with 17 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals. He praised the way James handled too much scrutiny throughout the summer league.
“I think he’s stepping into a good role,” Castleton said. “He needs some time. He’s got a lot of pressure, a lot of things on him. So he’s got a great mindset. He’s a great kid, a great teammate and we love being around him. Everybody in the organization loves being around him and he made great shots tonight and had a good rhythm, so that was the biggest thing for him, but he deals with the pressure.
James’ appearance followed the Lakers’ summer league loss to Boston on Monday, in which the Celtics star Jaylen Brown was sitting courtside and was captured in a viral social media post saying the words, “I don’t think Bronny is a pro” to WNBA players Kysre Gondrezick and Angel Reesewho were sitting next to him.
Brown tried to clarify the viral video in a social media post on Xwriting, “It’s a pleasure to have your son by your side in the NBA. He epitomizes greatness and longevity! Bronny has all the tools around him to be successful. I can’t wait to watch his growth.”
Rich Paul, the CEO of Klutch Sports and the agent of both LeBron and Bronny James, responded to Brown’s viral video in an appearance Wednesday on “The Pat McAfee Show” on ESPN.
“You can’t take everybody’s opinion and try to turn it against him or think he’s a bad person,” Paul said, adding: “At least [Brown] he is someone who is really in the league. There are many “experts” without expertise. he is truly an expert with expertise. So if he has that opinion, he can have that opinion. I know Jaylen. I know he doesn’t mean it with any malice. He was just having a conversation.”
Paul also defended James.
“Look, I think all these guys are on the move,” Paul said. “Bronny’s no different. He can’t be shut out of having to develop. Obviously, I know he wants to make shots and he’s going to make shots, but again, it’s just building great habits. I think the opportunity for Bronny to play at the league level would be on the defensive end, and that’s something he’s very good at now.
“In the other elements of the game, he has to get better and he will. Look, Bronny is passionate. He plays a game of basketball because it’s his passion. And so I don’t see summer league as the be-all and end-all, whether it was against average 30 [points] or if he averaged 3′.
“My mom, my dad really help me, they encourage me to stay focused and keep being myself. So I feel like that’s a big part of how I came out [tonight].”
Brony James
Dane Johnson, the Lakers’ summer league coach, believed James’ performance will only boost his confidence and reiterated the team’s faith in his shooting.
“He had the same shots before, and he just missed them,” Johnson said. “Well, we’ll encourage him to keep taking them.”
Johnson later added, “If he’s open and we have an open catch-and-shoot [shot], we want to shoot them, along with everyone else. Open catch-and-shoot 3s is what we’re looking for. Even if you don’t make them, believe in yourself, have confidence in yourself.”
After the game, James was asked if he will play with his father next season.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s a big step for both of us,” he said. “I like playing together [and] Working together every day will build on the relationship we already have. Build that connection, maybe even stronger. But I’m excited to go to work with my dad.”
What is James most looking forward to?
“Going against each other in practice,” he said with a smile.
The Lakers have two summer league games remaining in Las Vegas: Thursday against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Saturday against the Chicago Bulls.