Bronny James, the son of NBA legend LeBron James, had a tough night on the court in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ preseason opener against the Phoenix Suns.
The highly anticipated matchup didn’t feature many of the league’s superstars, including LeBron himself and Luka Doncic, but all eyes were still on the younger James as he continues to try and cement his place in the NBA.
Unfortunately for Bronny, the game didn’t go as planned. The 20-year-old guard finished with just 1-of-12 shooting from the field, including 1-of-8 from beyond the arc.
While he did manage to grab five rebounds and dish out two assists, the poor shooting night overshadowed the rest of his contributions in the Lakers‘ 103-81 loss.
Fans sound off as Bronny struggles to find his rhythm
The reaction from fans online was swift and, in many cases, unforgiving. Social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) lit up with criticism of Bronny‘s performance.
“Bronny not supposed to be in the league,” one user posted, while another simply said: “Bronny went 1-12 smh.”
The comments didn’t stop there, as one fan wrote, “I been off the Bronny train, dude just not good,” and another added, “Bronny still garbage I see.”
While the backlash was loud, Bronny remained composed when speaking to reporters after the game. “I felt like they were pretty good shots. Not rushed, not forcing anything,” he said. “Didn’t have my legs under me as much as I wanted to, so a lot of them were short, but most of them were on line. I felt like I could have made those.”
Despite the rough outing, Bronny said he feels more confident than before. “Definitely felt like I was more comfortable, especially with the ball in my hands, and with the defensive and offensive schemes,” he said. “But I’m just trying to feel it out. Feeling my way still and just continuing to grow.”
That growth is essential as the young guard attempts to earn more minutes under new head coach JJ Redick during the 2025-26 season.
Bronny‘s journey has not been an easy one. Just two years ago, he suffered a cardiac arrest during a workout before his freshman year at USC.
Doctors diagnosed him with a congenital heart defect, requiring surgery and a long road to recovery. Despite that, he played 27 games during his rookie NBA season, averaging just 2.3 points on 31.3% shooting.
However, he showed flashes of potential in the G-League, averaging 21.9 points per game on 44.3% shooting, evidence that there is still talent to develop.
With the spotlight always shining brighter due to his last name, Bronny James faces more scrutiny than most young players.
But it’s still early in his career, and preseason games are often more about finding rhythm than putting up stats. The hope in Los Angeles remains that Bronny can learn, adapt, and ultimately thrive under pressure, just like his father once did.
Read the full article here
