Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James got another opportunity to play for the Purple and Gold amid the team's injury woes on Friday.
With LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Rui Hachimura, Dorian Finney-Smith, Jaxson Hayes and Gabe Vincent all out due to various injuries, head coach JJ Redick opted to play the young James and a number of their fringe players against the Denver Nuggets.
The 20-year-old James played nearly seven minutes in the first half and scored five points, impressing fans with his activity on the court and improved confidence while playing.
However, Redick's decision not to capitalize on James' hot start surprised plenty of viewers, with many even expressing disappointment since it would have been a great opportunity for the youngster.
"Don't understand why the [expletive] we aren't running bronny. he had a great first quarter and now we got useless alex len back on, even could koloko some minutes too idc but were doing the dumbest lineups right now, its over theres no way we can win like this," an angry fan wrote.
"Bronny scores 5 points in 4 minutes and gets rewarded with bench time!!??" another commenter exclaimed.
A disappointed fan added, "Bronny played well in his minutes, why not give him more."
"Bronny got more points than Reddish and Morris COMBINED…Get this man more minutes," a supporter further complained.
"Need more Bronny minutes," a poster pleaded. A sixth follower echoed a similar sentiment, saying, "Please @jj_redick F around and let Bronny play more minutes Just tryna see something…"
For what it's worth, Bronny James got more minutes in the third quarter after JJ Redick put him in with less than five minutes left to play. The Lakers have also managed to stay competitive against the Nuggets despite their roster issues.
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This story was originally published March 14, 2025 at 8:39 PM.