Bronny James could have been satisfied with simply making the NBA. The Los Angeles Lakers guard had every opportunity to look at that guaranteed money on his contract and be content. That is not who Bronny is.
There is an insatiable desire for James to become the best version of himself that is displayed to the world time and time again. Dave McMenamin's inside look at the development of Bronny with the Lakers proved that.
One moment that came into focus from James' first year with the Lakers was a Jan. 28 matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers. It was a rough outing for the Lakers guard, missing all of his shots, committing three turnovers, and being attacked by Tyrese Maxey. Bronny wanted redemption.
James said, "It was definitely like, 'OK, this is where I stand right now, I need to just be better.' I need to get in the gym, get extra shots up, work on my body, work on my IQ, watch film, stuff like that with the coaches. So, it was definitely an eye-opener for me."
Bronny James' maturity and mindset continue to build faith for Lakers
James has never pretended to be ignorant to the outside criticisms. However, what has been most important for him is working towards a spot in the rotation that he knows can be obtained.
Bronny is also quite aware of exactly how to get there too. His defense will get him on the floor. His offense is the part that needs to catch up.
The NBA 2K26 Summer League offered plenty of encouragement regarding the necessary development everyone was looking for. Sone would even be bold enough to claim James has supplanted Dalton Knecht as the most promising young talent on the Lakers.
In Vegas, James averaged 14.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game in his four appearances. The soon-to-be second-year guard shot 47.6 percent from the field and 30.0 percent from beyond the arc.
James look a lot more comfortable offensively with each passing game. His first matchup against the Dallas Mavericks was a lackluster offensive effort. Just like the Philadelphia game mentioned above, Bronny proved his focus to improve was undeniable.
The Lakers even thought they had seen enough when they kept him out of the final summer league matchup. Training camp is the next battleground for Bronny.
The arrival of Marcus Smart may have complicated James' path to regular NBA minutes in 2025-26. However, continuing to build on the strong development displayed will undoubtedly force JJ Redick to think long and hard about his depth chart before the upcoming campaign.