Inside The Warriors

Bronny James’ Honest Statement On Lakers Role Before Warriors Game

Bronny James didn't play in Game 1 of the California Classic for the Los Angeles Lakers, but he did outline his summer plan of improvement

Matt Guzman

Apr 19, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) warms up prior to the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena.
Apr 19, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) warms up prior to the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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Bronny James knows the kind of pressure he's facing. Just because it's there, however, doesn't mean he feels it.

The son of LeBron James didn't play in the Los Angeles Lakers' 89-84 loss to the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the California Classic Saturday evening, but he's been committed to improvement over the course of the offseason. He outlined as much earlier in the week.

"I’m just running a lot," James said. "Getting a lot of conditioning in ... it’s just Year 2, so I've got to lock in on the things that I didn’t know before my rookie year and excel with that."

"My main focus this summer," he continued, "has been being in elite condition. That’s what I’ve been talking to my coaches about.” Last season, James appeared in 27 games, averaging 2.3 points for the mainstay roster while simultaneously getting minutes in South Bay, where he averaged 21.9 points per game.

That solidified his role as he continues to develop, but doesn't discourage him.

"I can't lose that defensive drive," James said, "that will get me on the floor because there's going to be guys that can score 15, 20 (points) a game. I'm most likely not going to be that guy right now."

How can he get to that level?

"I've got to be a defensive menace," he said. "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."

Whether that's Sunday or later in Las Vegas, Lakers fans will be awaiting to see how Bronny looks after his rookie season.

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Matt Guzman
MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.

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