Bronny James Reveals Truth Behind Career-High NBA Game

Though it’s hard to say that any other rookie in the NBA this season had more pressure and attention than Bronny James on the Los Angeles Lakers, the 20-year-old faced the scrutiny head on all year.

He didn’t see much playing time for the Lakers this season, but still had multiple highlights during his rookie year. He also made history as the NBA’s first father-son duo to play with his father, LeBron James.

Speaking with Spectrum SportsNet after the Lakers’ 4-1 series loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs, James recalled his favorite moment from 2024-25. 

“I’d say the Milwaukee game is one, but just overall, having performances that I’d say I was proud of,” James said. “Every one of those meant so much for me that I can prove to some of the people, even if they don’t want to switch sides, but prove to some of those people that I belong here and I can play. I just love that feeling, so it was great.”

James scored a career-high 17 points on 7/10 shooting, with three rebounds, five assists, and a block in 20 minutes while the Lakers fell to the Milwaukee Bucks by 29 points in a late-season matchup. 

Bronny Reflected On The Season

While he said scoring his career-high was one of his favorite moments, James also highlighted being a part of the first father-son duo in league history. Along with that, he said the confidence he found and the growth he made were also two aspects that he’ll remember. 

“Proud of what I’ve become. Proud of the growth I’ve had over the past year,” James said about what he learned over the season. “A lot of confidence. I’ve known I can do that, just being able to go out there and actually do it makes me feel great about myself and where I’m going as a player.”

While minutes on the Los Angeles Lakers were somewhat sparse, James made a big impact when he played on the South Bay Lakers, LA’s G-League affiliate. He averaged 21.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.t assists, and 1.9 steals on 38% shooting from three in 11 games. 

Contrastingly, in a separate interview months later by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, James discussed what was perhaps his worst memory of the season. It came in an 0/5 shooting night with three turnovers against the Philadelphia 76ers. 

“It was definitely like, ‘OK, this is where I stand right now, I need to just be better,'” James recalled. “So, it was definitely an eye-opener for me…I don’t take it for granted. It was an experience I definitely should have gone through.”

Lakers’ Latest Controversy

The latest news out of ‘Bronny James world’ is that, like his father, LeBron, he wasn’t at teammate Luka Doncic‘s press conference confirming his three-year $165 million deal with the Lakers. 

In the aftermath, sports commentator Dan Patrick commented on the situation, giving a blunt response to James’ absence. 

“A lot of players were there to celebrate. LeBron was not there, although he FaceTimed Luka,” Patrick said. “The one person who I thought should have been there was his son. Bronny James, if he wants to stay longer after LeBron leaves, that’s your teammate. That was surprising. Bronny James should have been there. You’re the last guy on the roster. You should be there. Show support.”

James wasn’t at Doncic’s press conference, but like LeBron, he remains on the Lakers for next season. James averaged 2.3 points, 0.7 rebounds, and 0.8 assists on 31.1% shooting in 27 appearances last season, highlighted by the 17-point game against the Bucks. 

One anonymous NBA executive believes James will be a full-time rotational player for the Lakers next season, and after the poor response by many to the team’s latest signings as well as James’ development in Summer League, that could become the case.