Despite a lopsided 118-89 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night, the spotlight belonged to Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James, who posted a career-high 17 points in the absence of several key players, including LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves.
The 20-year-old finished with 17 points, five assists, three rebounds, and one block on seven-of-10 shooting in 30 minutes. The performance placed him in elite company. According to StatMamba, Bronny became the youngest rookie in franchise history to record those numbers in a single game since Magic Johnson in 1979.
Following the game, Bronny appeared in a video recorded by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin and shared advice for his younger brother, Bryce James, who recently won the California state title with Sierra Canyon School.
Bronny James on the advice he gives his younger brother Bryce about basketball: “Work hard, don’t take it for granted because there a lot of people that want to be in our spot.” pic.twitter.com/lH929ippTs
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 21, 2025
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“As we were younger, the main thing I’d like to push to him was just having fun, playing your game, being confident in yourself,” Bronny said. “Yeah, I think as you know, as I became a senior, he’s now a senior now – to just have that mindset of working because there’s a lot of kids out there that want to be in my spot or his spot and we can’t take that for granted. So, just keep working.”
Bronny balances spotlight, offers Bryce advice after Lakers fall to Bucks
Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) looks to pass against Milwaukee Bucks guard Ryan Rollins (13) during the second half at Crypto.com Arena.
© Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images
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Bronny emphasized the importance of enjoying the game and staying grounded as both brothers navigate heightened expectations on and off the court.
He also addressed how he manages the growing media attention surrounding his development and the scrutiny that comes with being in the public eye.
“Just put my head down and working. I feel like that’s the only thing that I can control right now is going in every day and staying ready to play, getting ready to learn, getting the work in after hours, early morning – stuff like that,” Bronny said. “Just all the controllables that I can do myself, there’s really not much I can do of random people talking about me every day. So, I just go in the gym and work, put my head down and try to get better every day.”
Bronny’s career night comes amid an important stretch for the Lakers, who saw their three-game win streak snapped in the loss to Milwaukee. With injuries and rest days limiting the team’s regular rotation, the opportunity allowed younger players like Bronny to showcase their development.
The Lakers (43-26) will wrap up their five-game homestand on Saturday against the Chicago Bulls (30-40) before beginning a four-game road trip starting Monday against the Orlando Magic (32-38).
Bronny’s performance, combined with his mature postgame perspective, reflects his continued growth as he looks to carve out a consistent role with the Lakers while offering support and guidance to his younger brother navigating the same path.