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Baxter Holmes, ESPN Editor-in-Chief
LAS VEGAS — On the first play of the game, Los Angeles Lakers rookie point guard Bronny James curled around a screen and sank a 17-foot shot, eliciting roars from the Lakers crowd at Thomas & Mack Center.
The shot also provided some much-needed relief for James, the 55th overall pick in the 2024 draft, who had struggled in his first four summer league games, averaging 4.3 points and shooting 22.6 percent, including missing all 15 of his 3-point attempts.
LeBron James’ son’s struggles came from the enormous attention his game drew during two games of the California Classic in San Francisco and throughout the Lakers’ first three games in Las Vegas, with his every move scrutinized and the crowd groaning every time he missed a shot or passed the ball.
On Wednesday, the Lakers beat the Atlanta Hawks 87-86 to earn their first Summer League win of 2024, snapping an 0-5 start. And the younger James played his best game yet, finishing with 12 points — 9 in the first half — on 5-of-11 shooting, including 2-of-5 from three-point range. James also hit a crucial 3-pointer late in the game to tie the game, and the Lakers clinched the victory thanks to a defensive stop in the final seconds.
“I feel like I know how to play the right game,” James said. “So if I play my game every game, I’m going to get results like that.”
In some ways, it’s the first NBA victory of any kind for the 19-year-old James.
“My mom and dad are really supportive, they encourage me to stay focused and be myself,” James said, calling his parents supportive. “So I think that’s a big part of why I came out (tonight).”
He also noted that his father watched from overseas while he was with the U.S. team and that the elder James gave him advice.
“Stay aggressive,” his father told him, James said. “Even if my shot doesn’t fall, I have to stay aggressive.”
James acknowledged the crowd’s presence and its overall impact, and said he was leaning even more on his family, adding that he was “just trying to stay sane.”
“It’s something,” he said with a smile despite all the attention, “but it’s something I have to accept if I want to play at this level.”
Hawks No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher sat out the game, as did Lakers No. 1 pick Dalton Knecht.
Lakers center Colin Castleton led the team with 17 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and two steals. He praised how James handled the scrutiny throughout Summer League.
“I think he’s playing a good role,” Castleton said. “It takes a little bit of time. He’s got a lot of pressure, a lot of things on him. So he’s got a great mindset. He’s a good player, a great teammate and we love being around him. Everybody in the organization loves being around him and he took some great shots tonight and he just got into a good rhythm. So that was the biggest thing for him. He got into a good rhythm, but he’s got to deal with the pressure.”
James’ performance followed the Lakers’ summer league loss to Boston on Monday, during which Celtics star Jaylen Brown sat courtside and was captured on a viral social media post appearing to say the words “I don’t think Bronny is a pro” to WNBA players Kysre Gondrezick and Angel Reese, who were sitting next to him.
Brown attempted to clarify the viral video in a social media post on X, writing, “He is blessed to have his son by his side in the NBA. It reflects greatness and longevity! Bronny has all the tools around him to succeed. I look forward to seeing his growth.”
Rich Paul, the CEO of Klutch Sports and agent for LeBron and Bronny James, responded to Brown’s viral video during an appearance Wednesday on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show.”
“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) is somebody who’s actually in the league. There’s a lot of ‘experts’ with no expertise; he’s actually an expert with expertise. So if he has that opinion, he can have it. I know Jaylen. I know he doesn’t mean it maliciously. He was just having a conversation.”
Paul also defended James.
“I think all of those guys are developing,” Paul said. “Bronny is no different. He shouldn’t be left out of the development phase. Obviously, I know he wants to score and he will score, but again, it’s just developing good habits. I think Bronny’s opportunity to play at the league level would be as a defensive end, and that’s something he’s really good at right now.”
“He’s got to get better in the other aspects of the game and he will. Look, Bronny is a passionate player. He plays basketball because it’s his passion. So I don’t look at summer league as the end all be all, whether he averages 30 (points) or 3s.”
“My mom and dad really helped me, encouraging me to stay focused and be myself. So I think that’s a big part of what got me through (tonight).”
Bronny James
Lakers summer league coach Dane Johnson believed James’ performance would only boost his confidence and reiterated the team’s faith in his shooting.
“He had the same injections before, but he missed them by a hair,” Johnson said. “So we’re going to encourage him to continue to get them.”
Johnson later added: “If he’s open and we have an open catch-and-shoot, we want him to shoot those baskets, like everybody else. The open catch-and-shoot 3-pointers, that’s what we’re looking for. Even if you don’t make it, believe in yourself, have confidence in yourself.”
After the game, James was asked if he plans to play with his father next season.
“Yeah, it’s a big step for both of us,” he said. “I feel like playing together (and) going to work together every day is just going to strengthen the relationship that we already have. Build that connection, maybe even stronger. But I’m looking forward to working with my dad.”
What is James most looking forward to?
“We compete in training,” 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.