Bronny James wasted no time electrifying the crowd in his 2025 NBA Summer League debut, delivering a highlight that had fans flashing back to his father’s iconic plays.
Less than 30 seconds into the Lakers’ matchup against the Miami Heat at the Chase Center’s “California Classic,” James stripped Heat guard Kasparas Jakučionis and took off in transition.
The 20-year-old soared just beyond the free-throw line for a one-handed slam that sent the building into a frenzy.
“Like father, like son,” Andy Backstrom wrote for Yahoo Sports. “Just as LeBron James so often does, Bronny gathered and flushed in a fluid, sweeping motion, complete with an emphatic dismount, which he followed with a slow walk and stare down past the baseline.”
BRONNY JAMES WITH THE HUGE THROWDOWN 😮💨
MIA-LAL | California Classic on NBA TV pic.twitter.com/D9ctrSHfgn
— NBA (@NBA) July 6, 2025
James didn’t stop there. A minute later, he buried his first three-pointer of the night and went on to score 10 first-half points before sitting the second half. He played only 11 minutes, the fewest of any Lakers starter, as Los Angeles cruised to a 103-83 win.
James finished 3-of-7 from the field, including 2-of-5 from deep, and added two rebounds and a steal for a +4 plus/minus rating.
The 6-foot-2 guard is coming off a rookie season where he averaged 2.3 points in 6.7 minutes over 27 NBA appearances. But in the G League, the second-round pick put up 21.9 points, 5.5 assists and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 44 percent in 11 games for South Bay.
James’ best NBA showing to date came in March against the Bucks when he dropped 17 points and five assists on 7-of-10 shooting.
Though his debut wasn’t flawless, James missed three consecutive shots after starting 2-for-2, he still capped his brief run with a second triple off an assist from Dalton Knecht and two free throws before halftime.
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