Los Angeles Lakers' Bronny James Explains Mindset Ahead Of Summer League

“Yeah, it’s definitely some more excitement than nervousness, for sure,” James said. “I’m just ready to go out there and play and be better than I was the last time I was playing. Just having the mindset of being ready to play and ready for whatever’s thrown at me, no matter the role, what I gotta do on defense, offense, everything. Being a good teammate for my new summer league team.”

There were two games with the Los Angeles Lakers in which James played a substantial amount. The first was against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 20 when James came off the bench to play 30 minutes. It was the former Trojans’ best game of the season, scoring 17 points with five assists and three rebounds. 

James earned his first NBA start against the Portland Trail Blazers. He finished the game with just four points, but he did have six assists.

It was not the easiest season, but James will be just 21 years old during the 2025-2026 season and is still developing as a player. With the rookie year under his belt, the nerves are gone, and James is looking to get in shape and have a big year two.

“I’m just running a lot, getting a lot of conditioning in. And then just staying on top of my diet, eating healthy, being a professional. It’s just year two, so I gotta lock in on the things that I didn’t know before my rookie year and being better and excel with that,” James told Turner. 

“Last year it was a crazy environment for me to step in and produce right off the rip, like being nervous too,” James said. “So, I feel like this year, I’ll be able to go out and play freely and know what I’m gonna go out and do for me and my teammates.”

James was scrutinized throughout his rookie season. The conversation around the league was that James only made it to the NBA because of his father, Lakers forward LeBron James. With that, the former USC player was under immense pressure in his rookie season as a second-round pick. No matter how James performed, his name was being discussed across social media.

Not only is James working on staying in shape and improving his conditioning, but he is also looking to work on ignoring the outside noise. The Lakers will kick off the California Classic in San Francisco on July 5. The Summer League in Las Vegas will begin on July 10 against the Dallas Mavericks, featuring the 2025 No. 1 overall pick, Cooper Flagg.

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