Los Angeles Lakers' Bronny James Earns High Honor For Summer League Performance

Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James had a strong performance in the Las Vegas summer league. The former USC Trojans guard earned high recognition as he showed more confidence and stepped up for his team. James is heading into his second season, looking to play a larger role with the Lakers.

Jan 28, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) controls the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James has been faced with pressure through just one season of his NBA career. The former USC Trojans guard participated in the Las Vegas Summer League, and although the Lakers won just one game, James’ performance turned heads.

James was selected in the second round in 2024, and as a rookie, he split his time between the NBA and the G League. James dealt with high pressure due to his father, Lakers forward LeBron James, and was heavily scrutinized. The former USC player is beginning to shift the narrative after his summer league performance.

Jan 28, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) controls the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Bronny James Top Summer League Sophomore?

One of the biggest things to watch through the summer was if the second-year players took a step forward since the regular season. With the conclusion of the summer league, NBA.com named the top five sophomores, in no particular order, listing James as one of the top performers.

“Following a strong campaign at the California Classic, Bronny James built on the success in Las Vegas. The biggest difference was confidence - James simply looked more comfortable running the offense and continued to shoot the 3-point shot well,” NBA.com’s Jerry Jiang wrote.

Following the California Classic, James’ first summer league appearance was against the Dallas Mavericks and rookie small forward Cooper Flagg. Although James’ shooting was not his best performance, the former Trojan stood out on the defensive side of the ball.

Jul 10, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) prepares for the start of the second quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | Candice Ward-Imagn Images

Bronny James Full Summer League Highlights

0:00 - 2:50 Offensive Highlights
2:51 - 4:31 Assists Highlights
4:32 - 7:32 Defensive Highlights

13.0 PTS
44.8% FG
3.3 AST
2.7 REB
0.9 STL

Bronny James took a massive leap in terms of confidence in this years Summer League. Even with… pic.twitter.com/RjL7OiNuB7

— LakeShow Highlights (@LSH_lakeshow) July 21, 2025

Throughout the games, James’ shooting improved, with his best offensive performance being against the Los Angeles Clippers. The second-year guard scored 17 points with five rebounds, five assists.

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The final three games for James showed his potential in the league. Through the three matchups, James averaged 16.3 points, 4.3 assists, and 2.6 rebounds. 

James exhibited an extra layer of confidence, showing immense growth since his 2024 summer league performance.

Jan 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) warms up prior to the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Second Year Expectations

While James is not expected to step in as a starter for the Lakers each week, he is developing at a high level for a young player. He is expected to play a larger role with the team as a rotational piece, and the more playing time he earns, the more he will continue to grow.

In recent Lakers news, veteran guard Marcus Smart intends to sign with the Lakers following a buyout with the Washington Wizards. As James is already competing for playing time, adding Smart will make it more challenging for the former Trojan, but it may not be completely bad news for the former Trojan.

Mar 22, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Washington Wizards guard Marcus Smart (36) reacts after a basket against the New York Knicks during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Smart signing with the Lakers could be one of the best things for James, as the veteran guard could become a mentor for him. Smart entered the league as an undersized guard as well, but has become one of the top defenders in the league. James has shown better consistency on defense, and with Smart on the team, the former Trojan can learn how to truly break out as a defensive player.

“It’s definitely made me think about being more aggressive on that end of the floor, but I can’t lose that defensive drive that will get me on the floor because there’s gonna be guys that can score 15, 20 a game. I’m most likely not going to be that guy right now,” James said, speaking to the media following a summer league practice.

“To get myself on the floor, I’ve got to be a defensive menace. That’s my main focus, getting conditioned this year. It’s been shown that I know how to score the ball a little bit, I’m staying true to that, but also focusing on the defensive end,” James said.