Los Angeles Lakers rookie guard Bronny James made his G-League debut on Saturday night, helping the South Bay Lakers get a win. They took down the Salt Lake City Stars, with James chipping in all over the place.
He finished the game by scoring six points, grabbing three rebounds, dishing four assists, and swiping two steals. His jump shot showed that it was still a work in progress as he shot two of nine from the field.
After the game, former NBA head coach George Karl slammed the performance by James on social media. He reacted to a post highlighting the statistics of James.
“Is Legion Hoops trying to create news by showing Bronny is bad, like everyone knew he would be?? This ain’t news”
Karl has long been a critic of anything that has to do with the Lakers so this is nothing new for him. The former NBA coach lost to Los Angeles multiple times during his career and has never moved on from it.
It got so bad that he even apologized to the fans in Los Angeles earlier this year.
“Dear Lakers Fans, I was not kind towards you this season. I let my Sports Hate go too far. I have deep respect for the Lakers and consider them the greatest sports team of the past 50 years. I’m sorry. Let’s live, learn and love together again. Ok? Coach Karl”
The debut of James saw the game sell out in less than 24 hours after the announcement he was going to play. Being the son of Lakers star LeBron James, Bronny has many eyes on him at all times.
Despite all the criticism that he has faced, fair or unfair, the rookie has kept his head down and just played basketball. He is a long way from becoming a full-time NBA player so the G-League will give him a chance to develop his skillset.
Bronny spoke after his debut, just appreciating the moment of playing basketball.
“I’ve seen all the buzz from me going to the G,” James said. “It’s just an amazing experience for me to go out and play my game and get some minutes under me. I’m just excited for it.”
The Lakers believe that he can eventually turn into an impactful player at the NBA level. It may take some time but if Los Angeles can give him the space needed, Bronny could make something of himself in the league.
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Baxter Holmes, ESPN Senior WriterNov 13, 2024, 10:39 PM ETCloseBaxter Holmes (@Baxter) is a senior writer for ESPN Digital and Print, focusing on the NBA. He ha
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