Bronny James may not have had the greatest of starts to his NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers but that hasn't led to a dip in his popularity. According to Marca, James has sold over 500,000 jerseys already, generating more than $50 million in revenue in the process.
"Bronny has already shattered NBA records with his rookie jersey sales. Over 500,000 jerseys have been sold at around $100 dollars, generating more than $50 million in revenue for the Lakers. This surpasses even the rookie sales figures of his father, LeBron James."
Considering the ridiculous hype that LeBron James entered the NBA with in 2003, that's quite something. Whatever you may think of Bronny, the 55th pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, as a player, it seems undeniable that there is a fascination with him that's quite unique.
For example, Bronny's Summer League debut jersey sold for a whopping $38,400 while No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risachers' only fetched $3,360. The former USC guard, who is on a four-year, $7.9 million deal, also draws in eyeballs in a manner that few can, as tickets for his G League debut with the South Bay Lakers sold out within minutes.
Unfortunately, Bronny struggled to put on a show for his fans for the longest time. He didn't make a very positive impression during the Summer League or preseason and things didn't get better once the real games began. Bronny unsurprisingly only played in garbage time in the NBA, but what was surprising was how difficult he was initially finding life in the G League.
Bronny averaged just 5.0 points over his first two games for the South Bay Lakers, leading to some concerns about his future in the NBA. He has now shown, though, that just like you should never write off his father, you shouldn't completely write him off either.
Bronny scored 16 points against the San Diego Clippers on Dec. 7 on his return from a heel injury. He then followed that up with a spectacular showing in the first G League road game of his career against the Valley Suns on Thursday, recording 30 points, three rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a block in 25 minutes. He went 13-23 from the field and 3-9 from beyond the arc in the contest.
Bronny then had another 16-point outing against the Suns on Friday and is now averaging 14.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game in the G League. He is being more aggressive and assertive on the court and it'll be interesting to see how much he can improve as the season progresses.
For now, Bronny should be back with the Lakers in the NBA and they'll take on the Memphis Grizzlies next at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday at 9:30 PM ET. The Lakers enter that contest after losing eight of their last 11 games and are desperately looking to rediscover that winning formula after dropping to 13-12.
While Bronny might feature in that one, his father might not. LeBron has missed the last two games for the Lakers and has been listed as Questionable against the Grizzlies.
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