This is the advice LeBron James gave Bronny James for the NBA Summer League
The new Lakers’ signing hasn’t set the world on fire in his first games but these are early days and he’s got the advice of the best player in the NBA, his dad.
Few rookies in the history of the NBA have had to endure as much scrutiny as the Lakers’ newest player and it’s not related to his game, but rather his genes. Indeed, the former USC guard is about to embark on a journey that we’ve never seen before, playing alongside his father, the NBA’s all-time scoring leader.
LeBron James wants his son to be more “aggressive”
A whole lot has been said about Bronny James’ performances in the Summer League games, with the 19-year-old not exactly living up to the possibly unfair expectations that have been placed on him. Indeed, James’ efforts so far for the Lakers including his most recent outing in a tight 87-86 win over the Atlanta Hawks, have been less than sensational. Naturally, many have questioned what, if anything, his father, LeBron James, has said given the current situation.
Of course, the older James is currently with Team USA as he prepares for the Paris Olympic Games, which are set to begin on Friday, July 26th, meaning he has been unable to attend his son’s games, however, that has not stopped him from making time to watch his son take his first steps with the team that he, LeBron, has led for some time now. To that end, Bronny disclosed that his father has in fact given him some words of advice. “Stay aggressive,” James said. “Even though my shot hasn’t been falling, just to stay aggressive.”
It should be said that Wednesday’s win against the Hawks was the Lakers’ first in the Summer League so far, and was undoubtedly Bronny’s best outing to date. On 5-of-11 shooting from the field the former Trojan notched 12 points including his first bucket from beyond the arc, ultimately going 2-of-5 from three-point range. Nonetheless, it remains clear that the younger James has a lot to do if he is to establish himself as a key part of the Lakers’ roster. At present, he’s averaging 4.3 points which simply isn’t good enough at this level. On the other hand, the second-round pick is - to his credit - remaining focused on what lies ahead: An opportunity to play with his dad.
“I feel like playing together, going to work together every day is just gonna build the relationship we already have, build that connection even stronger,” Bronny told the media on Wednesday. “I’m excited to get to work with my dad.” Up next for the Lakers in the Summer League is a date with the Cleveland Cavaliers, before they take on the Chicago Bulls in the final game of their campaign in Las Vegas.