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Bronny James Proves Gilbert Arenas Right With Latest Summer League Performance

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Bronny James shoots during a summer league game.

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Bronny James has been the most critiqued player from the 2024 NBA Draft due to both his father and his slow start in the summer league. Nepotism cries have been loud ever since the Lakers picked him with the 55th selection, and they’ve only grown louder upon seeing his largely pedestrian performance.

Many have already written him off as an NBA talent, including current hoopers. Others, though, aren’t jumping to as quick a judgement on his professional future.

Gilbert Arenas was one of James’s supporters, believing that Bronny can continue to develop as he gets more comfortable in Los Angeles.

Arenas was heard rattling off past examples of summer league performances from current pro stars. Jaylen Brown, who was seen saying that he didn’t think “Bronny was a pro,” was one of those examples.

The longtime Washington Wizard reminded listeners on his Gil’s Arena podcast that Brown, too, started slow after getting drafted by the Celtics.

“Jaylen Brown. Do you know what they said about him in summer league? He was the 3rd pick in the NBA Draft… The first three games, just like Bronny, Bronny was 6-26, and Jaylen Brown was 5-26 from the field in his first three games in summer league…”

Despite that start, Brown developed into a dynamic player in Boston and is fresh off an NBA Championship season. Growth is possible!

Bronny James proved Arenas right with his most recent summer league performance.

The guard shot 5-11 from the field, including drilling the first two three-pointers of his professional career, on his way to 12 points. He was one of three Lakers to notch double figures, hitting nearly as many shots on Wednesday as he had through his first three contests.

James looked comfortable while balling out against the Hawks. Is it a sign of things to come? We’ll see.

Whether this becomes the norm or winds up being an outlier, Bronny proved Arenas’s point. It’s silly to judge a 19-year-old player off of three preseason performances in his rookie year.