The Los Angeles Lakers celebrated their initial triumph of the 2024 season by narrowly edging out the Atlanta Hawks in a tense summer league game, finishing with a score of 87-86. This marked the end of a five-game losing streak and injected a much-needed boost of morale into the team.
Bronny James Steps Up
Rookie guard Bronny James emerged as a pivotal player in this victory. James, who was the 55th overall pick in the 2024 draft, demonstrated his potential by finishing the game with 12 points. He showcased his skills early, setting the tone by sinking a 17-foot pull-up jumper to start the game.
"My mom, my dad really help me, encouraging me to stay focused and keep being myself. So I feel like that's a big part of how I came out [tonight]," said Bronny James, attributing his performance to his family's support.
Overcoming Early Struggles
The young guard's journey in the summer league had been challenging, averaging just 4.3 points and failing to make any of his 15 three-point attempts in the first four games. However, in this crucial game against the Hawks, James showed remarkable improvement, making 5-of-11 field goal attempts, including 2-of-5 from beyond the arc.
"Just stay aggressive. Even though my shot hasn't been falling, just staying aggressive," James remarked on his approach to the game.
Critical Moments
Bronny James played a significant role in the waning moments of the game, hitting a crucial three-pointer to tie the score and keep the Lakers in contention. The game was ultimately secured by a key defensive stop in the closing seconds.
The Lakers’ center, Colin Castleton, also had an outstanding night, contributing 17 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, and two steals, highlighting the teamwork and resilience of the squad. Castleton praised James, saying, "I think he's stepping into a good role. It takes a little bit of time. He has a lot of pressure, a lot of things on him. So he has a great mindset. He's a great kid, great teammate, and we love being around him. Everybody in the organization loves being around him and he took great shots tonight and just got a good rhythm."
Notable Absences
Interestingly, the game saw the absence of two key figures. Zacharie Risacher, the No. 1 overall pick by the Hawks, did not play, and the Lakers' first-round draft pick, Dalton Knecht, was also missing from the action. Their absence placed even more focus on the available players and their performance.
Building Relationships
Bronny James spoke about the dynamics of playing alongside his father, LeBron James, in the NBA. "I feel like playing together [and] going to work together every day is just going to build on the relationship we already have. Build that connection, maybe even stronger. But I'm excited to get to work with my dad," he expressed, emphasizing the personal and professional growth that comes from such a unique opportunity.
Support and Criticism
Amidst the excitement, Jaylen Brown was seen in a social media post appearing to critique Bronny during the Lakers' loss to the Boston Celtics. Rich Paul, Bronny's agent, addressed the criticism, suggesting that Brown's opinion comes from a place of expertise and should be regarded without malice. "You can't take everybody's opinion and try to turn it against him or think that he's a bad person. At least [Brown] is someone who is actually in the league. There's a lot of 'experts' with no expertise; he's actually an expert with expertise. So, if he has that opinion, he can have that opinion. I know Jaylen. I know he doesn't mean that with any malice. He was just having a conversation," stated Paul.
Lakers coach Dane Johnson also expressed his belief in Bronny's potential, stating, "He had those same shots previously, and he just missed them. So, we're going to encourage him to keep taking those. If he's open and we have an open catch-and-shoot [shot], we want him to shoot those, along with everybody else. Open catch-and-shoot threes are what we're looking for. Even if you're not making them, believe in yourself, have confidence in yourself."
Future Games
With this momentum, the Lakers now look forward to their upcoming games in Las Vegas against the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Chicago Bulls, hoping to build on the team’s recent success and further integrate Bronny James into their strategy.