Bronny James was in good form on Wednesday night.
The Lakers rookie scored an NBA Summer League-high 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting from the field in an 87-86 win over the Hawks.
The 19-year-old James made 2 of 5 shots from beyond the 3-point line (his first two with the Lakers) to record double-figures in points for the first time as a pro.
James added one assist, one rebound and one steal in 24 minutes of play.
“I tried to forget about all the shots I missed and the games I lost,” he told ESPN in an on-court interview after his win. “I just tried to go out there and play my game and do my best every time I go out there.”
LeBron James’ son started the fourth quarter on the bench but entered the game with 5:26 left in the game.
Just under two minutes later, Bronny hit the biggest shot of the game, a three-pointer, tying the score at 79-79.
It came two quarters after he made his first career 3-pointer and said he was excited about it after the one-point win.
“It felt great, it felt great,” a beaming James said about his first 3-pointer.
James, who only managed 15 points in three Summer League games, has faced criticism from pundits and fans early in his professional career due in part to his association with one of the greatest players in NBA history.
But Rachel Nichols said on FS1’s “Undisputed” On Wednesday, James’ son said the negative criticism he’s received so far is “totally unfair,” pointing to the fact that No. 2 overall draft pick Alex Sarr finished with zero points on 0-for-15 shooting on Tuesday night.
“Everybody’s looking at him like he’s a top 10 pick,” an NBA reporter said. “He’s not a top 10 pick, he’s the 55th pick. The expectation with the 55th pick is that he’ll go to the G League and maybe play a few games in the NBA. Last year’s 55th pick played a total of four games. Minutes In the NBA.
“It’s completely unfair to rate Bronny next to a top 10 pick and compare him to the performance of another player ranked 55th.”
The Lakers next face the Hawks on Wednesday night.
