Lakers' LeBron James: Bronny 'Getting Back to Himself' with Every G League Game

Bronny James has played well while suiting up for the South Bay Lakers in the G League, and his famous father believes the experience is helping the rookie find his footing in professional basketball.

"I feel like every opportunity he's getting to play, he's getting back to himself," LeBron James told reporters after the Los Angeles Lakers' 117-114 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Monday (3:07 mark). "He's looking more and more comfortable just getting out there and playing off instinct. That's how he's always played. … Mentally, he's starting to feel better. … It's great to see."

Los Angeles selected Bronny James with a second-round pick in the 2024 NBA draft, and he has appeared in seven games for the NBA team this season.

He hasn't contributed much while averaging 0.6 points, 0.3 assists and 0.1 rebounds a night, but he has been far more involved for South Bay.

In seven games for the G-League team, James is averaging 13.4 points, 3.4 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 37.4 percent from the field. He also has multiple standout performances, including when he dropped 30 points during a Dec. 12 game against the Valley Suns.

It was part of a stretch of four games in a row in which he scored at least 16 points.

Bronny James was never expected to be a significant contributor for the Lakers during his rookie campaign as a second-round pick who was a secondary scorer during his one collegiate season at USC. Additional experience in the G League should help him find his footing before he could play his way into a larger role in the NBA down the line in his career.

As for his father and the Lakers, Monday's loss snapped a three-game winning streak. It was no fault of James', though, as the King posted a triple-double of 28 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists while shooting 10-of-16 from the field.