Bronny James beams after scoring in the second half
Even while playing away, Bronny James quickly became a fan favorite in Washington.
Throughout the game, fans cheered for LeBron James’ son, and with the Los Angeles Lakers firmly ahead of the Wizards on Thursday night, Bronny played the full fourth quarter in his team’s 134-96 win.
Bronny James scored a career-high five points. Although he shot 1 of 6 from the field, he made a driving layup while being fouled and completed the three-point play with a free throw.
“He did a lot of really good things tonight. I thought he made a couple of nice passes,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “Defensively, he was great. It’s about building for every young player, and tonight was a good, positive step for him.”
Bronny James jumps for a shot in the second half
Bronny’s game included an air ball from 3-point range, two rebounds, two assists, and two fouls. He had a steal and made a nice long pass to Dalton Knecht for a dunk. After his only field goal, he drove to the basket again and threw an alley-oop to Christian Koloko for another dunk.
He ended the game with two free throws in the final seconds and was met with an “MVP! MVP!” chant from the crowd.
“He’s had attention on him his whole life. He’s used to it,” Redick said. “I remember not playing much in my first and second years. Fans in Orlando would sometimes chant that in a blowout in the fourth quarter — ‘We want JJ’ — and it’s a strange feeling. You can hear that sense of anticipation each time you shoot the ball. It’s a lot.
“He has handled it all with dignity, grace, and class. He will keep growing.”