The Los Angeles Lakers opened the 2025 NBA preseason on October 3, with Bronny James making headlines due to his poor shooting. LeBron James‘ oldest son was mocked by fans, but he also received some sound advice from a former first overall pick.
Speaking on his “Bust Life” YouTube channel, Kwame Brown was critical of Bronny’s development as a player. Brown initially went off on the 21-year-old guard before pivoting from harsh to wise words to help elevate his game.
“You got a coaching staff that support you. You got a daddy that supports you. Just play basketball, it’s not rocket science. If you open, shoot it. Work on the shots that you going to take and drive that ball to the basket. A layup sometimes make that ball or that basket look a whole lot bigger. So, that’s all I got to say to you, Bronny. I ain’t going to spend too much time on you. I know everybody else gonna just say you trash. I’m not just gonna say you trash. I think you need to improve, and I’m talking about improve quickly being that you took a roster spot from somebody else. So work on your game, son,” Brown said.
Brown added that Bronny should start being a playmaker and make his teammates better. He even encouraged the former USC standout to work even harder, in practices and shootarounds, and have a better work ethic.
Bronny James’ First 2 Preseason Games
In the Los Angeles Lakers‘ preseason debut against the Phoenix Suns, Bronny James played 24 minutes off the bench. Bronny had eight points, five rebounds and two assists but shot 1-for-12 from the field, including 1-for-8 from beyond the arc. He did go to the free-throw line six times and made five of them, as the Lakers lost to Phoenix, 103-81.
The Lakers didn’t have a lot of rest and were back at it again on Sunday versus the Golden State Warriors. Bronny played 23 minutes, finishing with five points, three rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block. He was 2-for-6 from the floor, but he also had five turnovers in the Lakers’ 111-103 defeat.
Despite back-to-back poor performances, Bronny had a highlight dunk in the fourth quarter. Dalton Knecht missed a 3-point shot, but the bouncy guard anticipated where the ball was going and hit a vicious putback dunk that got LeBron James standing up on the bench.
LeBron, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves were all ruled out against the Warriors. LeBron has a glute injury, Doncic is being given additional rest after competing at the 2025 EuroBasket and Reaves has an undisclosed reason why he didn’t play on Sunday.
Bronny James Turned 21 on October 6
Despite the negativity surrounding his first two preseason games, Bronny James has a lot to be thankful for. Bronny celebrated his 21st birthday on October 6, receiving plenty of greetings on social media. There are plenty of critics out there, but he also has a lot of supporters.
Bronny’s time in the NBA has been limited, though he has played really well in the G League. It will be interesting to see if he does well for the rest of the preseason and possibly earn a spot on coach JJ Redick’s rotation at the start of the campaign.
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