NBA Insider: Bronny James 'Great in' Lakers Locker Room and People 'Really Like Him'
January 23, 2025
Los Angeles Lakers rookie guard Bronny James has made a minimal impact on the court in his first year, but he's reportedly brought value to the team off of it.
Dan Woike of the L.A. Times reported during an appearance on Buha's Block that James' locker room presence has been appreciated by the Lakers despite him being the 15th man on the roster.
"He is great in the locker room, people really like him, he works hard," Woike said around the 1:07:55 mark.
The 2024 second-round pick is still early in his development, but that hasn't stopped him from drawing attention throughout the year, especially considering he's the son of Lakers star forward LeBron James.
Woike called it a "weird-ass situation" where the opposing crowd at Tuesday's game against the Washington Wizards began chanting "We want Bronny" as early as the third quarter while the Lakers were on their way to a blowout win. When the Wizards responded with an 8-0 run, fans were openly disappointed rather than rooting for their home team.
The 20-year-old eventually saw two minutes of action toward the end of the game and missed his lone shot attempt, though he recorded a rebound and a steal as the Lakers went on to win 111-88.
Los Angeles (23-18) will face a tougher test on Thursday night when it meets the Boston Celtics (31-13) on Thursday night on TNT at 10 p.m. ET, so it wouldn't be a surprise if James spends the game cheering on his teammates from the sideline.
