Bronny James helped Lakers get over the hump to close out trip

INDIANAPOLIS — The narrative surrounding Bronny James, the oldest son of Lakers star LeBron James, even before the franchise drafted him in the second round of the 2024 draft was that he needed the Lakers to make his NBA dreams come to fruition.

But on Wednesday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, with the road-weary Lakers closing out a six-game, 11-day trip against an energetic and physical Pacers team, it was the team that needed the younger James to get over the hump in their 137–30 victory.

They needed his energy and fresh legs after a six-game trip that spanned 11 days. His athleticism and burst during a night that was challenging for most of his teammates to sustain it — evident by the Pacers cutting the Lakers’ 29-point lead in the third to six with less than a minute in the game.

So when the coaching staff told Bronny before Wednesday’s game that he’d get rotation minutes against the Pacers in light of the team’s absences (Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura and Adou Thiero were sidelined), he relaxed before his opportunity came.

“To be honest, I was trying to calm myself down more than having adrenaline,” Bronny said. “Just trying to relax myself. I know what I can do as a player.”

The confidence James played with against the Pacers, a game he finished with four points on 2-of-4 shooting and a pair of steals, was much higher compared Nov. 15, which was the last time he was in the rotation during a game the Lakers had a significant amount of their normal rotation available. 

Bronny was more poised on Wednesday. Calmer. More self-assured in his game and confident in his shot, even though he missed his lone 3-point attempt.

It helped him knock down a 17-foot pull-up jumper with 3:50 left in the game with as the shot clock wound down to give the Lakers a 128–113 lead over the Pacers – a shot coach JJ Redick said was “big to kind of settle us” after the Pacers cut the Lakers’ lead from 29 in the third to 13 late in the fourth.

“That pull-up 2, it was a big bucket,” star guard Luka Dončić added. “It was one of the most important shots of the game. They were coming back, he hit that one. He did really great in those minutes.”

Bronny credited the 18 games he’s played with the Lakers’ South Bay G League affiliate this season, where so far he’s averaged 13.3 points on 48.7% shooting in 28 minutes, for his development.

He acknowledged the importance of hitting that shot for his confidence. 

“Does everything to see one get go through the net, especially in that point of the game,” Bronny said. “It’s pretty big for me. I’ve hit a lot of those shots in the G, so just seeing that translate.”

What also translated was Bronny’s defensive intensity, which was showcased when he stole the game and forced Pascal Siakam to turn the ball over on a post-up during the Pacers’ first possession of the second quarter.

“He’s gotten significantly better,” Redick said. “I know our staff has a lot of confidence in him. He had two really, really good defensive possessions [of] individual defense in the first half. The biggest thing with him is he’s got a lot of confidence right now. He’s having a fantastic season with South Bay. He’s been arguably the best player for like, the last three or four weeks in our stay-ready games every single time.”

Redick added: “He’s got a bounce to his step right now. That just comes from developing that confidence. We saw it last year, and we’re seeing it again this year; just his growth as a player.”

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