Lakers Summer League coach foresees bright future for Bronny James: "He's going to have a long career"
Bronny James might have had a disappointing start to his NBA career, struggling with efficiency in his first three Summer League games, but his coach predicts a promising future for him in the league.
In his first three Summer League games, Bronny James accumulated 15 points on 6-for-26 shooting from the field, including 0-for-12 from beyond the arc.
Dane Johnson, the Lakers’ Summer League coach and coach for the South Bay Lakers, the G-League affiliate of the LA Lakers, expressed confidence in Bronny James' potential for a long NBA career.
"Shoot, he's going to have a long career," Johnson said (per ESPN). "This is just the beginning. We just keep instilling [confidence], keep that in their heads. So we've got a long way to go."
Adrian Wojnarowski previously reported that Bronny is expected to spend the majority of his time in the NBA G-League for development. Bronny signed a four-year, $7.9 million contract with a team option for the fourth season with the Lakers.
Johnson mentioned that while he’s uncertain about the exact amount of time Bronny James will spend in the G-League, he is certain that he will be there at some point.
"I don't know about that yet, so I can't really comment on that," Johnson said. "But I think all these guys are going to be in the G League at some point -- the draftees."
Bronny James talks about experiencing rookie jitters
Despite being accustomed to the spotlight as the son of NBA legend LeBron James, Bronny James admitted to feeling nervous during his Summer League debut.
“Every first game that I step on the next level there’s always some butterflies in my stomach, but as soon as the ball tips and we go a couple times down it all goes away and I’m just playing basketball,” he said (per AP). “It’s always going to be there but get through it.”
In his introductory press conference, Bronny emphasized his desire to make a name for himself and not just be known as LeBron's son.
“I’m trying to get my name out for myself,” he said. “I just want to come in and get my work in and get better every day. I never really had a thought of me going to play with my dad. That’s always there to take part of, but it wasn’t a main focus of mine.”
Bronny is viewed by NBA scouts as a potential productive 3-and-D player in the league. However, his height, shooting struggles, health concerns and slow start to his NBA career have overshadowed his potential so far.