Lakers rookie Bronny James is beginning to find his footing at the NBA G League level. And while that’s the first step toward becoming an impactful NBA player, the 20-year-old still has major steps to make in his development.
In the wake of James’ recent breakout games, LA head coach JJ Redick was asked about the rookie’s coachability and how he can continue to improve as a player. Redick, a retired 15-year NBA veteran, gave an introspective look into what he’d like to see next from James.
Here’s more on what Redick had to say about James and how it fits into the larger plan of his development as a rookie.
SN’s NBA HQ: Live NBA scores | Updated NBA standings | Full NBA schedule
What did JJ Redick say about Bronny James?
Following Lakers practice Tuesday, Redick spoke at length on James’ pursuit of perfection.
“He’s got to get to the point where it’s okay to fail. And I think he has a real reservation to fail,” Redick told reporters.
“I think a lot of that is he’s had a camera on him since he was eight years old. I can’t imagine [my sons] Knox and Kai having cameras at their rec league games. He’s had attention on him. I’m cognizant of that.”
JJ Redick speaks about the next phase of Bronny James’ development: overcoming a fear of failure. Redick believes Bronny’s career will “take off” when he clears that mental hurdle pic.twitter.com/6JX9FmPhXl
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 17, 2024
Redick expressed excitement about James’ potential once he can move past the mental block, giving a look into why the Lakers were comfortable taking him with the No. 55 pick in the last draft.
“Once he develops that, he’s gonna take off. Literally, take off,” Redick added. “He will do everything we’ve asked him to — he’s done everything we’ve asked him to do. It’s just really a part of player development and not just the physical skills and the physical development. It is the mental development as well.
MORE: The best highlights from Bronny James’ G League breakout game
Bronny James stats
After a rough start to the NBA G League season with the South Bay Lakers, James has turned in games of 16, 30 and 16 points in his last three outings. The upward trend has positively impacted his season averages.
G League stats
| Stat | Total |
| Games | 5 |
| Minutes per game | 26.1 |
| Points per game | 14.4 |
| Rebounds per game | 2.8 |
| Assists per game | 2.4 |
| Steals per game | 1.0 |
| Blocks per game | 0.8 |
| Turnovers per game | 1.8 |
| FG-FGA (%) | 29-77 (37.7%) |
| 3P-3PA (%) | 5-25 (20.0%) |
| FT-FTA (%) | 6-9 (66.7.0%) |
NBA stats
| Stat | Total |
| Games | 7 |
| Minutes per game | 2.6 |
| Points per game | 0.6 |
| Rebounds per game | 0.1 |
| Assists per game | 0.3 |
| Steals per game | 0.1 |
| Blocks per game | 0.1 |
| Turnovers per game | 0.0 |
| FG-FGA (%) | 1-8 (12.5%) |
| 3P-3PA (%) | 0-4 (0.0%) |
| FT-FTA (%) | 2-2 (100%) |
MORE NBA NEWS: