Summer League presents an opportunity for rookies and second-year players to make a name for themselves. Specifically for Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James, it was a great chance to showcase what he worked on in the past year.
Second-round draft picks are typically hit or miss, but given James’s notoriety, there are high expectations despite being a former No. 55 pick. Being a Laker is not for everyone; it can be daunting for a 20-year-old as he continues to grow as a player in a high-pressure environment.
Despite these circumstances, James has demonstrated a great mentality by ignoring all the outside noise and focusing on what matters at the end of the day, which is basketball. The former USC Trojan impressed and took strides, particularly in Las Vegas Summer League as a lead ball-handler.
However, he put it bluntly that he did not like playing in the Las Vegas Summer League due to the location, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN:
“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.”
One would think young players in the NBA would greatly enjoy playing in Las Vegas and enjoying all the extracurricular activities that come with it. Bronny’s stance is a rarity nowadays and demonstrates a desire to be low-key about how he moves as a player.
This is a characteristic similar to his dad LeBron James, who puts in extensive work behind the scenes, taking care of his body and keeping his game sharp. Bronny is a sponge and wants to be a rotation piece for the Lakers in the near future, putting in the work to make it happen.
With a perception of being a pesky perimeter defender, he needs to focus on that side of the ball, which has been JJ Redick’s message to him. Thankfully for him, he demonstrated enough to keep him out of Summer League for the foreseeable future as sophomores are typically the cutoff for participation.
Bronny James has added ‘significant muscle’ since getting drafted
When Bronny James was drafted last summer, it was evidently clear that he was going to be a project. But, there was no pressure for him to become an impact piece immediately for the Lakers.
With that, it allowed Bronny to focus on improving his game and working on his body to get into NBA shape. Evidently, it is reported that he put on ‘significant muscle’ since arriving in L.A.
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