Bronny James sends message to critics in G League-breakout performance as dad LeBron steps back from Lakers

With his father mysteriously absent from the Los Angeles Lakers this week, LeBron James Jr. is suddenly shining for the team’s G League affiliate in El Segundo, California.

Bronny, as the second-round draft pick is known, dropped 30 points in the South Bay Lakers’ win over the Valley Suns in Tempe, Arizona with a dazzling highlight display on Thursday.

The rookie guard out of USC threw down a first-quarter alley-oop, nailed an impressive mid-range pull-up, and managed to convert a driving layup from a seemingly impossible angle. He also made 3 of 9 3-point attempts, which isn’t amazing, but does mark some improvement for someone who has struggled with his outside shooting.

But most importantly, Bronny played confidently in perhaps his best performance since leaving LA’s Sierra Canyon School in 2023.

Don’t forget, Bronny suffered cardiac arrest due to a congenital heart defect in July of 2023 and consequently had his college debut with the Trojans delayed until December 10 of last year. Even then, the younger James struggled to find his rhythm at the NCAA level, where he averaged just 4.8 points across 25 games.

And since being taken by his father’s Lakers last June’s draft – a move many critics have derided as nepotism – Bronny has been a non-factor at the NBA level. Over seven games, Bronny has averaged 0.6 points and 0.3 assists in just 2.6 minutes a night.

While Bronny is finding his game in the G League, LeBron stepped away from the Lakers this week for personal reasons.

“Personal reasons … he’s taking some time,’ Lakers coach JJ Redick told reporters of LeBron, who has already been ruled out for Friday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves due to ‘left foot soreness.’

James has been the subject of trade speculation as the soon-to-be 40-year-old sees his championship window closing in the NBA.

While that could explain his absence, others have baselessly accused LeBron of somehow being linked to Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ ongoing sex-trafficking scandal.

During a press conference this week, MMA fighter Colby Covington referenced a four-year-old clip of James and Combs together.

‘Hey, everybody know, ain’t no party like a Diddy party,’ James told Combs in the clip, which went viral in September.

‘What does LeBron mean by that? How many Diddy parties has he actually attended?’ Covington asked at a press conference Wednesday.

Combs was arrested in September in Manhattan after a probe into alleged sex trafficking. He is accused of drugging and raping victims as young as nine.

Combs, who faces over 100 sexual abuse allegations, is known to have thrown the extravagant ‘freak-offs.’

These parties would allegedly turn into large orgies, which sometimes lasted for days.

Combs continues to insist he has been wrongfully accused, and maintains that while sordid, the parties were all consensual.

The rapper has been held since his September arrest on charges that he coerced and abused women for years with the aid of a network of associates and employees . An indictment accuses him of silencing victims through blackmail and violence, including kidnapping, arson and physical beatings.

James has not made any comment on the resurfaced video and has not been linked to any of Combs’ crimes.

James is averaging 23 points, 9.1 assists and 8.0 rebounds so far this season – his 22nd in the NBA.

Redick said that he’s in constant communication with both James and his athletic trainer, Mike Mancias, about managing the four-time MVP’s workload.

‘In game, he’s asked for a sub a couple times because he’s gassed,’ Redick said. ‘For us, we have to be cognizant as we play more and more games, just the cumulative effect of playing a lot of minutes and Sunday, being banged up with the foot thing, it felt like a good opportunity for him to get some rest.’

James expressed a desire earlier this season to play in all 82 games, but both he and the Lakers are now being practical with the inevitable minor injuries that arise during any season.

Last month, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer announced he was quitting social media in a bizarre post.

‘And with that said I’ll holla at y’all! Getting off social media for the time being. Y’all take care,’ he said in the post in which he included a peace sign and crown emoji.

James posted the farewell to his 159 million followers on Instagram and 52.9 million on X in response to a post from Rich Kleinman, Kevin Durant’s longtime manager.

He shared a screenshot of a lengthy X post from the NBA agent written on October 24, slamming the negativity in sports coverage.

‘We can all acknowledge that sports is the last part of society that universally brings people together. So why can’t the coverage do the same? It’s only click bait when you say it,’ Kleiman wrote at the time.

‘When the platform is so big, you can make the change and allow us all an escape from real life negativity. I for one find it all a waste of breath. The Olympics and JJ [Redick] and Bron’s show was the future of what this can and should all be.’

‘AMEN!!’ James posted, along with a salute emoji.