The Los Angeles Lakers were dominated by the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night but had to operate without several key players, including LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Jarred Vanderbilt, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Jarred Vanderbilt, all of whom were out following a back-to-back.
Despite the loss, it allowed other players to step up, and that's exactly what rookie Bronny James did. He scored a team-high 17 points off the bench while also adding five assists and three rebounds. He shot an impressive 70% from the field and 50% from the 3-point line.
James became the first Lakers rookie since Hall of Fame point guard Magic Johnson in 1979 to score 17 points, dish out five assists, and shoot 70% or better from the field in a single game during their rookie season.
Bronny James tonight:
17 PTS
5 AST
70% FG
The youngest Lakers rookie to reach these numbers in a game since Magic Johnson (1979). pic.twitter.com/cZ1LonoesC
— StatMamba (@StatMamba) March 21, 2025
Following the game, Lakers head coach JJ Redick sent a very clear message on how he views James and how he's handled everything that's come his way during his rookie season.
"I saw some video interviews that he did at the combine in May, and I was not the Lakers coach, just an NBA analyst and podcaster at the time. I texted LeBron, 'Man, Bronny has his head on straight, like he gets it,'" Redick said. "Since day one, I've just been impressed with the person that he is and to deal with, frankly, [explicit], because of who his dad is, and just keep a level head about it and be a class act. It says a lot about him, and a lot about that family and the way LeBron and Savannah have raised him."
He added, "It was obvious to me, from the moment I started spending time on the court with him this summer, that he was certainly going to be an NBA player, and I still believe that-he'll be an NBA player."
Bronny James recently opened up for the first time all season about dealing with the scrutiny that has been thrown his way. While he highlighted that sometimes it feels like he gets treated like a robot, despite having emotions just like everybody else, he uses it as fuel. He followed up those comments with the best performance of his young Lakers career.
"I see everything that people are saying, and people think, like, I'm a [explicit] robot, like I don't have any feelings or emotions. But I just take that and use it as fuel."
Related: JJ Redick Bluntly Addresses 'Challenge' of Coaching LeBron James and Bronny
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This story was originally published March 21, 2025 at 7:34 AM.