Bronny looked impressive in his first two G League games in Cleveland.
LeBron James’s annual road trip to play the Cleveland Cavaliers has become a homecoming event. That was taken to another level this past go-around with Bronny James entering the picture for the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Cavs played their customary tribute video for LeBron with an added portion for Bronny as well. Cleveland won the game going away, but the highlight of the night for the home crowd was Bronny’s first basket.
The fans chanted “We want Bronny” over and over again until he checked in in the fourth quarter. After he entered, they vociferously booed every time any other Laker dared to take a shot. The loudest roar of the evening was saved for when Bronny hit a baseline jumper not too dissimilar from the one his dad buried for his first basket in Sacramento over two decades ago.
Both father and son couldn’t stop smiling afterward even though the Cavs ran over their team.
“It was the greatest thing in the world,” LeBron said afterward. “Kids always have these dreams when they’re super young. As parents, you just try to put them in a position so that at one point throughout their lives, that maybe that dream can become a reality.”
Bronny’s smile from two months earlier wasn’t as prevalent when he returned alone to Cleveland with the South Bay Lakers this past weekend. No one dreams of playing in the G League. It’s just a stepping stone to making those dreams more than just a one-time memory.
“It’s been pretty good,” said Bronny to Fear the Sword about his G League experience after Saturday’s game. “Play my game, play my best and try to learn from every time I step on the floor, get those reps in. Most importantly just trying to get better as a person and a player.”
The G League is becoming a more viable path to making it to the NBA. Half of the rostered players at the start of last season had G League experience. The difference between Bronny and other prospects (say, Jaylon Tyson or Luke Travers) is that he can’t work on his game away from the spotlight. He can’t make mistakes in a space that allows for those without it becoming a story.
Every game is a referendum on who he is and the process used to get him into the league. It’s something that Cavs two-way player Emoni Bates, who was labeled the next basketball prodigy and featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated when he was 15, can relate to.
“Man it’s hard,” said Bates. “Everywhere he goes, there’s going to be something or somebody trying to tear him down. It could be his teammate, shit. You know what I mean? That’s how that shit goes. Excuse my language, but it’s hard. I ain’t gonna lie. I’ve dealt with it a long time. I know it’s not easy for him, especially because his name is way bigger than mine.”
There’s nothing anyone can do to shield Bronny from the level of criticism and attention he’s received. The Lakers went into this season trying to make his transition to professional basketball as smooth as possible by planning on keeping him away from G League road games. That has changed recently as he played in the G League showcase and South Bay’s last two road trips.
“Just staying grounded mentally,” Bronny said about playing away from home. “You’re going to be away from home a lot, missing family type of stuff, so just staying grounded and sane while you’re in a hotel locked up. But still trying to learn from the game, watching film, watching yourself. I feel like that’s a good thing to accompany that time you have alone in the hotel.”
That mindset paid off for him during his two-game stint in Cleveland. James was the best player on the court on Saturday. He led both teams in scoring with 21 points on 7-14 shooting with 9 rebounds and 5 assists. His feel for the game allowed him to have an outsized impact compared with his skill level.
“I know I can play smart,” Bronny said. “So just being aggressive while playing smart, but that’s a thing that I should focus on every time I play. It worked tonight. Also, just getting on the boards too. I know that helps my team a lot.”
Bronny still needs to figure out how his game adapts when he can’t use his physical tools to his advantage as he did in AAU and high school. It’s difficult to be an off-ball shooting guard with a slow jump shot release even if you have the feel for the game he does. Conversely, you can envision him becoming a quality rotation point guard if he is ever able to tighten up his handle to the level it needs to be for that position. Figuring that out is what these games are for.
Nobody envisions their path to the NBA going through the G League. That extends to guys who are constantly shifting between their NBA and G League teams.
“It’s difficult for sure, like a lot of guys would say, but I think it’s for me to just get that experience on both sides,” Bronny said. “Being able to come to the G and get my reps in and play my game, play unworried, and also being able to go up to the big team and learn from the vets, watch the games, watch film and all that stuff. So, I feel like it’s good for me, but it definitely takes a toll on your body and your mental but I feel it’s good for your player development.”
Bronny’s most recent return to Cleveland wasn’t his father’s annual homecoming. It was in front of a third of the spectators and Bronny is still trying to prove who he is as a player. But Bronny embraced it all the same.
It wasn’t an NBA environment, but Cleveland Public Auditorium had 5,000 plus in attendance for each game. Those were both record highs for the Charge. Bronny received the loudest ovation during player intros and cheers for every basket. There also wasn’t a shortage of his or his father’s jersey throughout the auditorium.
Bronny made the most of the setting. He was the best player on the court while talking trash with some of the courtside fans. He made sure to remind them about it when he hit a three right in front of them. It was something we’ve seen LeBron do many times when he’s wearing an opposing uniform in Cleveland. This was Bronny’s turn to do the same, in his own way.
“Special,” Bronny said about returning to Northeast Ohio. “You could just feel the energy coming from the fans for me. It’s just an amazing feeling.”