The Los Angeles Lakers may have lost their game to the Milwaukee Bucks, but perhaps the biggest moral victory was the statline of rookie Bronny James.
James put up 17 points, five assists, and three rebounds in the Lakers game, showing that perhaps he does belong in the NBA. Fans were quick to celebrate Bronny’s career-high.
Lakers Fans Call Out Critics
Lakers fans were quick to lambast James’ critics when Basketball Forever posted his statline. One fan who goes by the name of “LeGOAT James” wrote that “haters are in shambles. Bronny’s going to be in the league 15+ years.”
haters are in shambles. Bronny gonna be in the league 15+ years
— LeGOAT James (@LBJgoat_talk) March 21, 2025
Another fan named Kevin didn’t necessarily call out the haters, but rather called out the notion that James is only in the league of his dad, writing, “Didn’t look that bad imo. I see the potential. Nepotism be damned, he can play.”
Didn't look that bad imo. I see the potential. Nepotism be damned, he can play.
— kevin (@ThatDude_Kevo) March 21, 2025
While not responding to Basketball Forever, another fan named “definitely not a slob” believes that this is just the beginning for James, writing “This ain’t even a joke statline, LeGenes are kicking in.”
This ain’t even a joke statline, LeGenes are kicking in https://t.co/dIkzhP1nmj
— definitely not a slob (@IowaSh1tty) March 21, 2025
Next Step Is Consistency
No matter how anyone may feel about James’ performance, when the Lakers called his name, he at least did his part. This could be the first step towards him building a successful NBA career.
It may not have resulted in a win, but James at least showed that he was capable of playing on professional basketball’s biggest stage, which many were skeptical of when the Lakers drafted him last year.
To be fair, James showed the promise he had made in the G-League. It was just a matter of replicating his success in the NBA. While it was only one game, James showed that he might not be in over his head.
The next step for him is to show that he can do this consistently. It’s one thing to put up the statline James did because if it only happens once, detractors may say that he just got lucky. It’s another if he does it more and more as time goes on, it’ll show that he truly belongs in the NBA.
This late in the season, it might be a little hard for James to prove himself. Not because of him but because the Lakers might be more focused on players who they know can contribute. James isn’t quite there yet, but he could be in the distant future if all continues to go well for him.