It was a long time coming, but one of the top headlines heading into the 2024-25 NBA season was the debut of Bronny James. The son of LeBron James, Bronny opted to go one-and-done with the USC Trojans and was selected by the Lakers in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft. While there were plenty hating the pick, he’s shown he has the potential to stick around in the NBA.

While Bronny had his most impressive NBA performance so far in the Lakers’ loss last week to the Milwaukee Bucks, with 17 points, he’s mainly been getting opportunities with the South Bay Lakers in the G League. In a recent game against the Santa Cruz Warriors, Bronny erupted for a career-high 39 points that earned a response from his father.

“SMILE THROUGH IT ALL YOUNG !!! KEEP GOING!!” James posted to his X account in response to the performance. In the G League regular season, Bronny is now averaging 22.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and shooting 37.5% from three. While he likely won’t earn any meaningful minutes in the playoffs, he’s showing signs of progression.

Looking ahead toward Bronny’s future with the team, it depends on how the Lakers handle their depth at the guard position. Gabe Vincent and Shake Milton remain under contract next season, which should allow more time for Bronny to develop and eventually step into the rotation.

If Bronny decides to travel with the team, the South Bay Lakers have two games remaining on their regular season schedule before the season ends, with two contests against the Iowa Wolves.