From his 27th-floor suite in the Vdara Hotel & Spa in Las Vegas, Bronny James took in the sweeping views. On a mid-afternoon in July, he observed the surrounding ARIA Resort & Casino grounds, where the Los Angeles Lakers` young talents and roster hopefuls were temporarily housed. He pointed out landmarks like Shadow Creek Golf Course, the Bellagio fountains, and the striking Las Vegas Sphere, even remarking on a recent Backstreet Boys concert there, “I would go,” despite not being born during the pop icons` prime. “I know their stuff.”
Three days earlier, the NBA had put James in the spotlight as his summer league Lakers faced the Dallas Mavericks, featuring their highly anticipated No. 1 pick, Cooper Flagg. The Lakers lost, with James contributing eight points on two-for-eight shooting, including one-for-six from beyond the arc, and missing a potential game-winning three in the final seconds. However, two days later, in the Lakers` second game, he scored 14 points and recorded two steals in a 94-81 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.
James candidly expressed his aversion to the Las Vegas summer league experience. “My head is all over the place,” he told ESPN. “There’s so much going on in Vegas. I personally don’t like summer league at all. I like the competition and the games, but I don’t like coming to Vegas and being in Vegas… After this, I’m just doing nothing.” This laid-back approach stands in stark contrast to his father, LeBron James, who squeezed in a Vegas visit to watch his son play between a trip to Puerto Rico for a Bad Bunny concert and a journey across the globe to Monaco for an E1 electric power boating race.
Bronny`s journey into the NBA is marked by extraordinary circumstances. Drafted as the 55th pick by the Lakers in the 2024 NBA draft, his selection came less than a year after he suffered a cardiac arrest during a summer workout with the USC Trojans. History was made last October when he checked into the Lakers` season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves, becoming part of the first-ever father-son duo to play together in the NBA.
Remarkably, James has never revisited the tape of that historic debut, nor reviewed his two missed shots from that brief appearance. He finds the intense spotlight uncomfortable. “I just think that if you know me, I don`t really like the spotlight in big moments,” he explained. “I mean, it was a great experience to be part of because it was the first son-father duo. But I`m a chill guy. I don`t like [all that]. It comes with it. But yeah, I don`t really like to go back. I mean, I`ll watch my good performances where I have some minutes under my belt, but I`m not going to go and watch that.”
Nine months after his NBA launch and two years since his career and life were threatened on a USC practice court, James has been diligently working away from the public eye to transform into a meaningful player, rather than just a celebrated attraction. His primary goal is to secure a spot in Coach JJ Redick’s rotation, overcome the lingering effects of his heart condition, and outcompete multiple veterans on the depth chart. The article delves into the realistic prospects of achieving these ambitions.
A Season of Adjustment and G League Breakthrough
As arguably the most discussed 55th pick in NBA history, James’ first season saw him play just 181 minutes across 27 games, frequently shuttling between the Lakers and their G League team. He was far more recognized for his historical significance than for his on-court plays, enduring very few high points. He even confessed to watching clips of his high school highlights for a confidence boost before games.
A clear low point occurred on January 28. The Lakers were in Philadelphia, mid-way through a five-game road trip. With Gabe Vincent sidelined by a left knee injury and James fresh off a 31-point game for the South Bay Lakers, he was called up to the varsity squad. In his 13th game, and his first time playing a significant backup point guard role, James was severely tested. In 15 minutes, he went 0-for-5 with three turnovers, becoming a constant target for Tyrese Maxey, who exploded for 43 points to lead Philadelphia to a win without Joel Embiid or Paul George. Afterward, first-year coach Redick took responsibility, stating he put James in a “tough spot.”
The critics, who had long argued that L.A.`s selection of James was mere nepotism, intensified their attacks, subjecting him to an unprecedented level of scrutiny for a late second-round pick. For James, however, the outside noise was secondary to his performance. “It was definitely like, ‘OK, this is where I stand right now, I need to just be better,’” he reflected. “I need to get in the gym, get extra shots up, work on my body, work on my IQ, watch film, stuff like that with the coaches. So, it was definitely an eye-opener for me.” He saw it as a crucial “welcome-to-the-NBA” moment, an experience he “definitely should have gone through.”
After finishing the road trip with minimal “mop-up” minutes, James returned to the G League for much of February, initially struggling further with a 5-for-17 shooting performance and six turnovers in a loss to the Oklahoma City Blue. However, Zach Guthrie, the 37-year-old coach of the South Bay Lakers, who was in his first year with the program after a decade in various NBA roles, made a pivotal decision a month into the season. He made a pact with James: he would be the team`s lead guard, regardless of any inconsistencies. “It was just like, ‘You’re the point guard, we’re doing this,’” Guthrie told ESPN. “I was just like, ‘It’s your show, let’s go.’ ‘The ball’s in your hands the entire game. We’re living and dying with it.’”
Guthrie specifically tailored his offense to James, repeatedly running “Spain” pick-and-rolls—a complex action designed to create multiple options for the point guard—until James mastered reading the play in real-time. “‘You’re going to get really good at reading this one play,’” Guthrie told him. “And I think it’s the most point guard-friendly play. And so it was like, ‘We’re going to run this to death, and you’re going to learn all the reads.’”
There was one crucial stipulation: to retain the keys to the offense, James had to be locked in defensively. “‘All I’m asking is you got to guard,’” Guthrie told James. “‘And I’m going to hold you to a crazy standard. And if you’re not defending, if you’re being lazy… I’m going to sub you out, I’m going to show it to the team. And that’s it. And then you’re going to play to exhaustion.’”
This demanding approach worked. Rebounding from his Oklahoma City struggles, James closed out the G League season averaging 22.8 points, 5.6 assists, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.6 steals, while shooting 36.7% from three-point range in the final seven games. South Bay went 5-2 during this period. Redick was aware of Guthrie`s pact and closely monitored James` progress. Watching James reminded him of a conversation with his 10-year-old son, Knox, who faced stiff competition at AAU Nationals. “When you fail, that’s the good stuff,” Redick emphasized, highlighting that growth comes from testing oneself and overcoming setbacks.
Overcoming Adversity: Health and Conditioning
For James, “failure” is a relative term. After suffering cardiac arrest two years ago due to a congenital heart defect, requiring surgery that left a six-inch scar down the center of his chest, basketball wins and losses take on a vastly different perspective. Lakers guard Gabe Vincent, who has become close to James, believes this experience has provided his teammate with a valuable mental edge. “Having the game taken away from you at a younger age in the way he did, whether it be injury or whatever it was, I think it gave him a different appreciation,” Vincent told ESPN. “I think it forces you to have a different kind of fight. It puts a chip on your shoulder. Everyone needs a chip, but it gives you a different kind of belief in yourself as you’re battling back. You kind of have to climb uphill. And so that builds a lot of resolve.”
Despite this hardened perspective, James admits to feeling lingering physical effects. “I get kind of sick easier now,” he shared. “Which is kind of weird, but I think it messed with my immune system a little bit. So, I would have times where I have to sit out, and that conditioning that I’m working on just goes away in that week of me being out.” This happened this summer, with an illness keeping him out of a week`s worth of workouts leading up to the California Classic. His conditioning suffered, leading to his absence from the opener in San Francisco and a minutes restriction in his second game.
Lakers athletic trainer Mike Mancias confirmed, “Anytime you have a situation like this, it takes some time for the body’s collaborative immune system to build back up. It’s very normal to have even elite athletes experience this. But because of Bronny’s age and condition, it [will happen] even faster.” Yet, considering his primary goal from the coaching staff, James` situation can seem Sisyphean.
Coach Redick is clear: “The biggest thing for Bronny is that he has to get in elite shape. That’s the barrier of entry for him right now. And if he does that, I think he’s got a chance to be a really fantastic player in the NBA.” Redick points to tenacious guards like the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Davion Mitchell of the Miami Heat or his former teammate, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound T.J. McConnell of the Indiana Pacers, as examples of the game-changing impact James could have. However, a core part of their skill sets is a two-way relentlessness that demands tremendous stamina, a physical output James has not yet consistently sustained.
“On every single possession, they’re in the game — whether that’s offensively or defensively — they’re able to impact it with how hard they play,” Redick noted. “With the defensive pickup points, the disruption, being able to get downhill… I think we have all seen these amazing flashes of it from Bronny. And to get to that next level for him, it’s cardio fitness.” Redick reaffirmed, “He’s cleared… I get that there’s a history there of a really scary thing that he had to live through, and I think it’s tough to push past certain points for him, but he’s going to get there. He’s going to get there.”
Guthrie, his G League coach, has already observed progress, likening James’ conditioning to a “basketball 401(k).” “It is all about daily deposits,” Guthrie said. “And sometimes, when you don’t make as much money or you have a life event, you’re going to have to take a little out of your 401(k), or you’re not putting in as much…Yeah, there’s going to be sometimes he’s sick or this or that, but if he just stays vigilant and stays about his work, I think he will be fine. That 401(k) will be great because he’s been putting in the work starting now, starting in the offseason, focusing on his diet, focusing on sleep, focusing on all those things. That’s all part of conditioning. It’s all tied together.”
James credits his father for instilling this consistency. “I think that’s a big part of why his longevity is just so crazy and he’s able to withstand so much for 20-plus years,” James stated. “I see a lot of guys that don’t want to get in an ice bath after practice or don’t want to get treatment.” In his offseason workouts, James endures rigorous interval training—VersaClimber sessions, stationary bike burnouts, incline walk exertions, and windsprints—to complement scrimmaging and skill work. Knowing his jumper is also critical for playing time, James concludes his workouts with a curated 105-shot shooting drill, aiming to make 80 shots.
This dedicated approach has garnered significant support inside the Lakers` locker room. Gabe Vincent, a teammate, expressed his full backing: “We might be competing for minutes down the line, but as a teammate, as a human, as a person, I want nothing but the best for him.” Vincent believes James` development directly benefits the Lakers by fostering internal competition. After observing James` strong defensive performance against Pelicans` No. 7 pick Jeremiah Fears in Las Vegas, Vincent texted him encouragement: “‘Hey, I don’t know what you’re being told in the background, but I liked what I saw… You were aggressive… You were on the main guy.’”
Vincent acknowledged the difficulty of maintaining a “big-picture mindset” as a young player under the intense scrutiny of “Laker Land.” However, he emphasized, “But for me, we’ve seen the growth in him from Year 1 to now, so it’s important to just continue to rise.”
A Leap in Confidence
Bronny James’ significant progress was vividly on display during his very first possession in summer league against the Miami Heat in San Francisco. As soon as Miami`s Kasparas Jakucionis turned his back to spin around L.A.`s DJ Steward, James swiftly sped up from his blind side to poke away the ball. He then gathered it near midcourt, dribbled twice, and launched himself from a foot inside the foul line, finishing emphatically at the hoop with a powerful one-handed dunk. In his hotel suite, one of his confidants suggested James might not have punctuated the play with a dunk a year ago, to which James agreed: “Last year, I probably would’ve had a little rim grazer, layup type of finish.”
He might not have had that moment even a few months prior. In April, as the Lakers concluded the regular season against the Portland Trail Blazers—a team already eliminated from postseason contention—Coach Redick rested his top rotation players, emptying the bench. This meant James received the first start of his career. Despite having stabilized his play in the G League by this point and having a couple of notable games with the Lakers, the first half of the Portland finale proved to be a regression. James scored just two points on one-for-four shooting with two turnovers, and L.A. trailed by 15 at halftime. Redick didn`t hold back.
“It was the only time I really got on him all year,” Redick recalled. “The thing I said to him was: My belief in you as a player can’t be higher than your belief in you. And the standard you hold yourself has to be higher than the standard I’m going to hold you to.”
The 20-year-old James is now diligently working to strike this delicate balance, making “daily deposits” of effort and focus. Every bit of work, every single day, is contributing to his growing self-belief. “My confidence level is, for sure, taking a leap,” James affirmed.
