NBA Summer League began on July 6 with the California Classic in Sacramento before then shifting to the NBA 2K25 Summer League in Las Vegas on July 12. The competition is known for where rookies and future stars get their professional starts, including the No. 1 overall pick from the 2024 NBA Draft in Zaccharie Risacher of the Atlanta Hawks.
However, it’s not Risacher, UConn standout Donovan Clingan of the Portland Trail Blazers, or Player of the Year Zach Edey of the Memphis Grizzlies who has garnered the most attention. That honor would go to the fourth-to-last pick of this year’s draft in Bronny James. The eldest son of superstar LeBron James was drafted by his famous father’s team and is getting his pro start in the same summer circuit his father debuted in 21 years ago.
However, 19-year-old Bronny didn’t have the smoothest start to being a professional, and one of his perceived strengths of shooting the basketball wasn’t on display initially. Through his first four Summer League games—including the California Classic and Vegas Summer League—the younger James shot just 7 for 31 (22.6 percent) from the field and was 0 for 15 from beyond the arc. He averaged only 4.3 points, with many to point out that’s close to the 4.8 points he averaged in his lone season at USC.
To make matters worse, Bronny doesn’t have LeBron around in person to offer encouragement. While LeBron is usually a fixture in Las Vegas during Summer League, he headed overseas last week with USA Basketball as they continue practicing ahead of the Olympics. Thus, Bronny has had to rely more on his father’s words than his physical presence, and Bronny shared what advice his father is giving him amidst his struggles.
That advice seemed to impact Bronny in his fifth Summer League game on Wednesday as he finally appeared to break out of his shooting slump. He went 5 of 11 (45.5 percent) from the field and 2 of 5 (40 percent) on three-point attempts en route to 12 points in an 87-86 Lakers win over a Hawks team that kept Risacher out of the lineup due to a quad injury. Bronny even hit a three-pointer with under four minutes left in the game to tie the score at 79 in his best Summer League performance, and it was also Los Angeles’ first Summer League victory across six contests (Bronny did not play in one).
Even though it was just one game, it was progress, which is the goal of every player during this summer circuit. After the game, Bronny was asked what factors kept him in the right frame of mind after a rough Summer League start, and he again cited his parents.
Bronny certainly isn’t the first player to struggle in the Summer League, as a notable one drafted well before him is off to an inauspicious start. Alex Sarr, a 7-footer out of France who was the No. 2 overall pick by the Washington Wizards, is expected to have a much more discernible impact as a rookie than Bronny is.
However, he shot just eight for 41 (19.5 percent) from the field over his first three games, including a 0-for-15 display in a Tuesday loss versus Portland and Clingan. Sarr is also just 2 for 17 (11.8 percent) from downtown.
For what it’s worth, LeBron didn’t have the same struggles that his son or Sarr are experiencing in their pro debuts. Back in the 2003 Summer League in Orlando, Florida., the elder James averaged 15.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists, and he produced that without a year of college prep as he jumped straight to the pros from high school.
Bronny and the Lakers will wrap up their Summer League schedule on Saturday against the Chicago Bulls, while LeBron and USA Basketball will have an exhibition against South Sudan that same day in London. The two will share the court for the first time when the Lakers begin training camp in early October, with the 2024-25 NBA regular season beginning later that month.
