Magic Johnson Compares Bronny James to Lakers Rising Star, All-NBA Defensive Player

Getty Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers is fouled by Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Golden State Warriors.

Los Angeles Lakers legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson gave his bold take on Bronny James, the son of LeBron James, following the rookie’s 17-point game against the Golden State Warriors.

“Laker Nation, I have to tell you Bronny James is going to be a really good basketball player! Last [October 18], he showed he has a few things you simply can’t teach — high basketball IQ, athleticism, and a competitive spirit that makes him a tenacious defender! I believe after a lot of hard work this season, he’ll definitely be in the Lakers’ rotation and playing heavy minutes,” Johnson tweeted with the video clip of Bronny James’ highlights against the Warriors.

Bronny James ended the preseason with a much-needed confidence booster after coach JJ Redick rested his top seven players. With Bronny James starting and logging 35 minutes, the 20-year-old rookie scored 17 points on 7 of 17 shooting with four rebounds, three steals, one block and one assist.

Magic Johnson dropped the names of Alex Caruso and Austin Reaves, two undrafted NBA players whom the Lakers developed into star role players, as Bronny James’ comp.

“Basketball fans, Bronny James is in good hands with the Lakers, who are great with developing talent. Two names that I can name recently that I’ve seen firsthand are Alex Caruso and Austin Reaves, who both are starters in the league today. Bronny will be next,” Johnson tweeted next.

LeBron James’ Best Wingman

Caruso played for the Lakers from 2017 to 2021. He was a key member of the Lakers’ 2020 championship team. After the Lakers let him walk in 2021, Caruso blossomed into an NBA All-Defensive player. He was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team in 2023 and Second Team last season.

Caruso was LeBron James’ best wingman when he was with the Lakers.

Over the last two seasons they played together, James and Caruso had the highest net rating among any two-man lineup in the team. During their championship run in the 2019-20 season, they had a plus-18.6 net rating. The following season, Caruso’s final year with the Lakers, they registered a plus-17.1 net rating.

James even nicknamed Caruso G.O.A.T. during his Lakers days.

“Every time he’s in the game, he’s a plus guy,” James said of Caruso in a New York Times interview in 2020. “He can do so much. He can defend at a high level. He’s very smart. He’s very tough. To have him on this ball club is a luxury.”

Bronny James had shown plenty of promise on defense that can warrant comparison to Caruso.

In six preseason games, Bronny James had accumulated five blocks and three steals. If he can come close to Caruso’s 3-and-D skill set, it will already be a considered win for the Lakers organization.

Lakers’ Rising Star

If Caruso is a defensive stalwart, Reaves is the better player on offense. The Lakers consider Reaves as a rising star after they kept him off trade talks for former All-Star Dejounte Murray.

The third-year guard out of Oklahoma is penciled to start once again in the Lakers’ backcourt after averaging career highs across the board last season — 15.5 points, 5.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 32.1 minutes.

Reaves is expected to have an increased role this season under Redick. The preseason showed a glimpse of that after Reaves averaged 14.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.3 steals in just 23 minutes.

Reaves’ shooting and playmaking is what Bronny James should aspire for if he wants to become a solid, if not elite, 3-and-D player in the NBA.

But it should be noted that Caruso and Reaves are bigger than Bronny James. They are both 6’5″ while Bronny James was measured 6 feet, 1.5 inches without shoes during the NBA Draft Combine.