"This kid is like Caitlin" - Former Warriors guard foresees Bronny James having Caitlin Clark-like impact on G League
Former Golden State Warriors star GIlbert Arenas compared LA Lakers rookie Bronny James to WNBA's Caitlin Clark. In a clip from "Gil's Arena" podcast, he said the younger James will draw attention to the G-League, comparing his popularity to Clark.
On Thursday, ESPN's Sham Charania confirmed that the Lakers guard will be assigned to the team's G-League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers. According to Charania, James will debut with the developing group on Saturday against Salt Lake City.
The insider also revealed that James will only play home games for South Bay, shuttling between the NBA and the G-League. This prompted former NBA player and co-host on "Gil's Arena," Brandon Jennings to question his participation with the team.
Jennings questioned why the Lakers guard is getting "special treatment" for only appearing in home games for South Bay. Arenas answered his question, citing that James' popularity is comparable to the Indiana Fever star:
"Because my daddy LeBron James, that's one," Arenas said. "Two, I'm Bronny James... 'First of all, I'm coming to this arena, it is being filled up because of me.' This kid is like Caitlin Clark.
"You can be mad or you won't, but you was playing in 5,000 arenas. That was 20,000, so you're 20 points a game is in 15,000 more people's eyes... He has the light. The light comes from people who want to see him succeed and then there’s light from people who wanna see him fail."
Arenas talked more about the "light" that James has. The former NBA star used Guerschon Yabusele as an example after he dunked on LeBron James during the 2024 Paris Olympics. Following the dunk, the French player was signed by the Philadelphia 76ers for the 2024-25 season.
According to Arenas, Yabusele's moment with James put the "light" on him, giving him another shot with an NBA team. He played for the Boston Celtics from 2017 to 2019.
Also read: "The highest paid G league player" - NBA fans abuzz over Lakers sending Bronny James to G-League
Tickets for Bronny James' first game with the G-League reportedly sold out
The South Bay Lakers posted on X (formerly Twitter) ahead of their Saturday season opener regarding the availability of tickets. According to the team, the tickets have been sold out. The game is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. at the UCLA Health Center. PT.
The team's next game will be against the Santa Cruz Warriors on Friday, Nov. 15. However, the game will be hosted by the Warriors at the Kaiser Permanente Arena. James will not feature in the game since he will only be available for the team's home games.
The next home game for South Bay is on Sunday, Nov. 17, against the Stockton Kings.
Also read: "Bronny is the Caitlin Clark of the G league!" - NBA fans abuzz over Bronny James' G-League debut tickets reselling for 10x the average price