Nov 8, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) on the court prior to the game against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Lakers' Bronny James Takes Shot At His Own Rookie Season

Originally posted on Los Angeles Lakers on SI
By Patrick Warren | Last updated Nov 9, 2025 7:00 PM ET

Bronny James' rookie season was not quite as memorable as his father's.

The Lakers' second-round draft pick bounced back and forth between the G League and NBA, averaging just 2.3 points and less than one rebound and one assist per game.

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Looking at James' stats this season might not show a significant improvement from Year 1 to Year 2, however the second-year player told reporters that he feels like he's evolved as a player.

"I feel like it's way better," James said last week of his conditioning level compared to last season. "Especially the defensive end, holding my own, pushing the pace on the offensive end in transition and stuff like that. I feel like I did a great job in the summer, getting in shape and stuff like that. JJ has told me that I'm playing as hard as I can right now, so I want to keep doing that."

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Bronny James mentioned he's been focused on "going out, giving all effort. Literally going out until I'm dead tired," when he's on the court.

Said he feels his conditioning is "way better" compared to last season. JJ Redick's told Bronny that he's playing as hard as he can now. pic.twitter.com/tnR5uIQcdg
— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) November 8, 2025

Ahead of the season, Redick told reporters that he challenged James to improve his conditioning in order to become a more consistent contributor to the team.

"The biggest thing for Bronny is that he has to get in elite shape," Redick said. "That's the barrier of entry for him right now. And if he does that, I think he's got a chance to be a really fantastic player in the NBA."

Bronny on the Rise

In a small sample size, Bronny has doubled his average minutes played per game from last season, spending over 12 minutes per game on the court. His defensive rating of 110.7 doesn't jump off the stat sheet, but is certainly a respectable rating for the rookie.

"He is so much more comfortable and confident as a player. Skill-wise, read-wise, all of those things have improved, but there’s a big difference between improving those things in individual workouts and small group settings, and doing it 5-on-5," Redick said in early October. "He’s a totally different player than he was a year ago. I thought the stuff that he did down in the G League last year was huge for him in developing a comfort level in playing at this level.”