Controversial Los Angeles Lakers rookie point guard Bronny James, son of 20-time All-Star Lakers combo forward LeBron James, suited up for his first game in the Lakers' G League system over the weekend.
Read more: How Many Points Did Lakers' Bronny James Score in G-League Debut?
In a 110-96 South Bay Lakers victory over the Utah Jazz's NBAGL affiliate, the Salt Lake City Stars, Bronny James submitted a fairly modest stat line.
The 6-foot-2 guard scored six points on two-of-nine shooting from the floor, dished out four dimes, pulled down three boards, and swiped a pair of steals. As usual, his defense outshined his offense.
James was selected with the No. 55 pick in this past June's 2024 NBA Draft after a one-and-done season as a backup with the USC Trojans.
Read more: Bronny James, Son of LeBron, Drafted by Lakers in Second Round of NBA Draft
Pundits have criticized his selection as being a move made to placate his dad, who even in a record-tying 22nd pro season remains one of the league's best current offensive players.
During the Lakers' first game of the year, a 110-103 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, Bronny and LeBron James made a special kind of league history. When they took the floor together at the end of the contest's first half, they became the first father-son tandem to ever achieve that feat.
Read more: Lakers' LeBron and Bronny James Make NBA History
Through six games for Los Angeles, Bronny James is averaging 0.7 points on .167/.000/1.000 shooting splits, 0.3 assists, 0.2 rebounds, and 0.2 steals across 2.7 minutes per.
The Lakers recently demoted him to their G League squad to help him get more run than he's been earning in games for Los Angeles proper. L.A. intends to toggle him between South Bay (for games on the team's El Segundo homecourt) and the Lakers throughout his 2024-25 season.
Another player-turned-pundit had harsh words for James' play thus far this year.
On a fresh episode of his Underdog Fantasy podcast "Gil's Arena," former three-time All-Star point guard Gilbert Arenas called out the younger James' pro play thus far.
“[Bronny’s] game is passive… It’s this awkward thing when he is supposed to shoot it he passes, when he is supposed to pass he shoots.”
Gilbert Arenas examines why Bronny James’ game isn’t working in the NBA. pic.twitter.com/33craZaO89
"The problem with Bronny James' game is he's not aggressive and when you're not looking to score it becomes a problem," Arenas said. "When you're looking to make passes, you miss everything – right, if you just be ultra-aggressive, like I'm looking to score, you stop me then I make a pass. But if you sit here trying to make a pass and rim is right here and then it becomes an 'Oh s---' [moment]... it becomes a harder game."
Arenas cited the play of two former Hall of Fame pass-first point guards as the kind of deferential performers after whom Bronny James needs to model his game. Though he isn't projected to have those league superstars' upside, Bronny James can still ape their ethos — or so Arenas thinks.
"When you look at the Jason Kidd's, the Steve [Nash's], they're passers but because they're so aggressive, like, 'I need to touch the paint, here I know where to pass,'" Arenas said. "[Bronny James'] game is passive, all the way around. Everything is secondary to him and it's just this awkward thing when he's supposed to shoot it, he passes. When he's supposed to pass it, he shoots it."
In an 11-year career cut short by injuries, the 6-foot-4 Arenas was, ironically, more of a scoring point guard. Across 552 regular season games (455 starts), he averaged 20.7 points on .421/.351/.803 shooting splits, 5.3 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.6 steals a night.
Read more: Bronny James Signs Multi-Year Guaranteed Rookie Contract With Lakers
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