Did we witness the breakout for Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James on Thursday night?
With the Lakers down LeBron James, Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and a couple of other key role players, Bronny James played 30 minutes in a 118-89 loss for the Lakers at the hand of the Milwaukee Bucks. Bronny took advantage of the extra playing time.
He tied a career-high with 17 points on 7 of 10 shooting from the field, knocked down two 3-pointers and added five assists. The 30 minutes were the most for Bronny since Oct. 18 against Golden State (35 minutes) and the second most in his career. Bronny James also had 17 points against the Warriors.
‘Just all the coaches believing in me and continue to put that in my head that they believe in me and what I can do as a player,’ James said after the game. ‘I was given an opportunity tonight to go show them what I’ve been working on while I’ve been sitting on the bench, in the G League getting reps, stuff like that. Just constantly putting that in my head that they believe in me and that I can contribute.’
Bronny James was a second-round pick for the Lakers after playing one season with USC during the 2023-24 season. He has split time with the Lakers and the G-League this season and has appeared in three straight games for Los Angeles.
Here’s a look at James’ full stats against the Bucks on Thursday:
Bronny James points, stats last night
Here’s James’ full stat line from Thursday’s L.A. Lakers loss vs. the Milwaukee Bucks:
Points: 17
Minutes: 30
Shooting: 7 for 10
3-point shooting: 2 for 4
Free throw shooting: 1 for 1
Rebounds: 3
Assists: 5
Blocks: 1
Turnovers: 4
Bronny James stats this season
Here’s James’ full stat line from during the 2024-25 NBA season:
Games: 22
Points per game: 2.3
Field goals made/attempted: 17-for-48
Field goal percentage: 35.4
3-point field goals made/attempted: 7-for-26
3-point field goal percentage: 26.9
Free throws made/attempted: 9-for-12
Free throw percentage: 75%
Assists per game: 0.6
Rebounds per game: 0.6