JJ Redick’s Surprising Six-Word Message to Bronny James Shows Up After Lakers Win
Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick didn’t hold back when talking about Bronny James during their 119-95 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Luka Doncic was the star of the game, scoring an impressive 41 points in their 10th win this season on Sunday.
The team is still waiting for LeBron James to return, but there’s hope he’ll play his first game of the season on Tuesday against the Utah Jazz. When LeBron comes back, he’ll make history as the first NBA player to play in 23 seasons. While he’s been out, others like his son Bronny have had a chance to shine.
Bronny, 21, made just his second NBA start against the Bucks but only played a few minutes after some moments of hesitation. After missing his first shot, you could see his confidence drop. When Doncic passed to him in the left corner, Bronny hesitated and passed the ball back. Then, again on the other side, he chose not to take the open three-pointer. Doncic looked frustrated and threw his arms up in disbelief.
Head coach Redick was even tougher, shouting: “Bronny, you gotta shout the f*****g ball!” Bronny was taken out after four minutes and didn’t come back until the second half.
This was very different from how Redick felt about Bronny during the pre-season. After a warm-up game against the Phoenix Suns, Redick praised Bronny’s growth from playing in the G League. He said Bronny is more comfortable and confident and has improved his skills and game sense a lot. But, he also pointed out it’s one thing to improve in workouts and small groups, and another to perform well in real 5-on-5 games. Redick said Bronny is a much better player than a year ago, and the time in the G League really helped him get used to playing at this level.
So far this season, Bronny has played in nine NBA games, averaging just under 12 minutes each. He scored his first points in early November against the Miami Heat, then added five against the Trail Blazers, two against the Spurs, and his best game with nine points against the Hawks. However, he’s been struggling lately and hasn’t scored in the last four games.