With his rookie season almost in the books, the jury is still out on Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James. While some believe he has the makings of a successful NBA player, others think he will likely be bound for the G League. However, on Thursday night, James sent a message to his critics. In a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, the 20-year-old recorded 17 points on 7-for-10 shooting, three rebounds, five assists, and a block. This was easily the best game of his rookie career so far, and head coach JJ Redick took notice.
After the game, Redick sent a message to the league regarding James. In doing so, he made it clear that he still believes James is an NBA-caliber player.
“Since Day 1, I’ve just been impressed with the person that he is. … And the way LeBron and Savannah have raised him was obvious to me from the moment I started spending time with him on the court this summer. “He was certainly going to be an NBA player and I still believe that he’ll be an NBA player,” Redick said.
JJ Redick Sends Bold Bronny James Message
Bronny James Responds to the Criticism
In a recent interview for The Athletic (subscription required), James spoke about the criticism he receives. James made it clear he sees it all, but he allows it to motivate him to be better.
“My first thought about everything is I always try to just let it go through one ear and out the other, put my head down and come to work and be positive every day. But sometimes it just, it fuels me a little bit. I see everything that people are saying, and people think, like, I’m a f–king robot, like I don’t have any feelings or emotions. But I just take that and use it as fuel for me to go out, wake up every day and get to the gym early, get my extra work in.”
Following James’ career night, Stephen A. Smith spoke about his past critiques of him. On a recent episode of First Take, Smith said he “might have been wrong” about James.
“I might have been wrong. Are you listening, LeBron James?” 🤯 @stephenasmith reacts to Bronny James’ career-high performance against the Bucks 👀 pic.twitter.com/3GMW05zbwR
— First Take (@FirstTake) March 21, 2025
“I was very impressed, I was very impressed because I saw an elevation in his level of confidence and poise. It didn’t really faze him, he didn’t look as nervous as he had looked in previous appearances on the basketball court. He looked like somebody that belonged…this is the big picture here that I wanna bring up, I might have been wrong.”
The Last Word
With less than a month left in the season, James will not have many other opportunities to make an impact. However, he is showing that he has potential. Additionally, James is also proving he has what it takes to be a successful NBA player. James is unlikely to play much in the playoffs. However, it is clear that he has talent and can become a mainstay in the league.
© Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images
