Bronny James continues progression with career-best in G League

With his third 30-point game in the G League, Bronny is averaging 22.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 10 starts for South Bay. The 20-year-old is the youngest player in the NBA's developmental league to average at least 20/5/5 this season, per StatMamba.

Bronny's G League career-high came less than a week after he dropped an NBA career-high 17 points against the Bucks, albeit in a loss. That performance helped him equal Magic Johnson as the youngest Lakers rookie to log 17 points and five assists at 70 percent shooting. 

The 55th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Bronny entered the league with minimal expectations. The son of LeBron James had a subpar collegiate career at USC, averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists. Furthermore, his basketball career was in serious jeopardy when he suffered cardiac arrest during a practice session. Fortunately, he returned from the health episode and cleared the requisite physicals, leading to the Lakers bringing him on board. 

On Sunday, James Sr. spoke glowingly about his son's gradual improvement as a basketball player since the cardiac arrest. 

"I've seen he has gotten better from the moment he made his first game back after the [cardiac incident] with USC to the moment the other night when he stepped onto the floor [against the Bucks]," James said of his son. "He has gotten better and better, and I think his confidence has gotten better with the work that he is putting in."

With the G League season winding down and the South Bay Lakers (14-17) set to miss the postseason, Bronny is expected to return to the Lakers imminently.