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The Los Angeles Lakers are rolling, as they have looked like a completely different team since acquiring Luka Doncic in a stunning blockbuster trade with the Dallas Mavericks. One of the more unique storylines surrounding the team this season has been surrounding Bronny James' development in his rookie season, and he recently hit back at the critics he has been dealing with for the past few months.
The Lakers controversially selected Bronny with the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft, with many believing he only got picked because his father, LeBron James, wanted to play alongside him in the pros. Bronny has heard all the chatter about him throughout the year, and while he's remained quiet for much of the year, he finally opted to address the criticism he has faced throughout the season.
“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,” James said. “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***ing 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, watch my extra film every day, get better every day. That’s what Rob wants me to do as a young guy, coming in, playing in the G League and learning from far on the bench watching the Lakers play.”
Bronny James continuing to put in the work for the Lakers
Bronny's development was stunted when he suffered cardiac arrest back in July of 2023, and while he managed to suit up for the USC Trojans just months after this incident, he struggled during his lone collegiate season, averaging just 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 36.6% from the floor. Still, he decided to declare for the draft, where the Lakers unsurprisingly selected him.
In 21 games, Bronny hasn't made much of an impact for L.A., averaging just 1.6 points, 0.5 rebounds, and 0.4 assists per game. However, he's shown flashes of his promise throughout the year while playing for the South Bay Lakers in the G League, which is precisely what the team was hoping to see from him. The Lakers are playing the long game with Bronny, and it's clear that while he may not always respond to his critics, he hears everything, and he's using it as fuel as he looks to establish himself as a key contributor in the NBA.
