Bronny James’ rookie year came with plenty of attention, but Lakers head coach JJ Redick believes one thing above all else will determine how far he goes in the NBA.
“The biggest thing for Bronny is that he has to get in elite shape,” Redick told ESPN. “That’s the barrier of entry for him right now. And if he does that, I think he’s got a chance to be a really fantastic player in the NBA.”
The 20-year-old guard entered the league last season as the 55th overall pick, joining his father LeBron James in a history-making debut as the NBA’s first father-son duo to share the court.
After that milestone, Bronny spent much of the year bouncing between the Lakers and their G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers.
James has faced unique challenges since suffering cardiac arrest two years ago, which cut short his lone college season at USC.
“Anytime you have a situation like this, it takes some time for the body’s collaborative immune system to build back up,” Lakers trainer Mike Mancias said. “It’s very normal to have even elite athletes experience this. But because of Bronny’s age and condition, it [will happen] even faster.”
Bronny recently returned to Las Vegas Summer League, where he had flashes of promise mixed with inconsistency.
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