It is actually wild how much noise surrounds a kid who spent most of his rookie year playing in six-minute spurts. If you just look at the headlines, you'd think Bronny James was either the next big thing or a total bust. Neither is true. When you actually dig into the bronny james game log, you see a much more boring, yet realistic, story of a 20-year-old trying to find his legs in a league full of grown men.
The box scores don't lie, but they do hide things.
Most people see the 2.3 points per game from his 2024-25 rookie season and check out. But look closer. That average comes from just 6.7 minutes of action across 27 games. You can't even get a sweat going in six minutes. However, in the G League with the South Bay Lakers, the stats tell a completely different story. There, he actually got to play basketball. He averaged 18.6 points and 4.6 assists in 18 appearances. That is where the real development happened, away from the bright lights of Crypto.com Arena.
The Reality of the Bronny James Game Log
Let's talk about that first career start against the Portland Trail Blazers on April 13, 2025. It was a mess, honestly. The Lakers lost 81-109, and Bronny played 38 minutes. He went 2-for-10 from the field. Four points. But he also had 6 assists and 4 steals. That is the "Bronny" archetype: a defensive pest who moves the ball. He isn't his dad. He isn't going to drop 40. He’s a 6'2" guard who's trying to be a 3-and-D specialist, even if the "3" part is still a work in progress.
His shooting splits were rough.
31.3% from the field.
28.1% from three.
Those aren't NBA numbers yet.
But then you look at March 20, 2025, against the Milwaukee Bucks. He logged 17 points, which stands as his NBA career high. He went 7-for-14 that night. He looked comfortable. The problem for most fans is that these moments were buried in a season of "DNPs" and garbage time. One night he's playing two minutes in Cleveland; the next week he's dropping 31 points in the G League against the Rip City Remix.
Why the G League Numbers Matter More
If you want to know if he can actually play, the South Bay Lakers logs are the only thing that matters.
- January 25 vs. Rip City Remix: 31 points, 3 assists, 2 steals.
- February 7 vs. Valley Suns: 28 points, 6 rebounds, 12-for-23 shooting.
- December 28 at Cleveland Charge: 23 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists.
In the G League, he was the guy. He had a 27.5% usage rate in his first seven games there. He was handling the ball, running the pick-and-roll, and actually guarding the opposing team's best perimeter player. In the NBA? He was standing in the corner waiting for a pass that usually didn't come because, well, LeBron and AD are on the floor.
It’s easy to call him a "nepotism hire," and look, being LeBron’s son definitely got him the 55th pick. But he’s also 55th among rookies in total minutes. He's producing exactly where a late second-round pick usually produces—which is to say, not much. The difference is the microscope.
Tracking the 2025-26 Season Shift
As we’ve moved into the 2025-26 season, the bronny james game log has started to stabilize. He’s still a deep-bench piece for the Lakers, but the efficiency is creeping up. In 23 games this season, he’s averaging 1.5 points in about 7 minutes. That seems like a regression, but his three-point shooting has ticked up to 33.3%. Small sample size? Sure. But it's progress.
The most interesting game recently was January 12, 2026, against Sacramento. He only played 5 minutes, but he hit two threes. 100% shooting. It sounds tiny, but for a guy whose biggest knock is his jumper, those are the reps that keep him on the roster.
Defensive Impact vs. Box Score Stats
Stat-heads hate Bronny because his "Advanced Stats" are often in the red. His PER is low. His offensive rating is... not great. But if you watch the tape of his 34-minute outing against the Valley Suns in February 2025, you see why the Lakers are invested. He has elite lateral quickness. He fights over screens in a way most 20-year-olds won't.
He had a game with 4 steals in the NBA.
He had a game with 7 assists in the G League.
He's a connector.
The reality is that Bronny is currently a G League superstar and an NBA project. Most players picked at 55 are out of the league in two years. Bronny is actually getting better, even if the progress is incremental. He’s not a primary scorer. He knows it. He said it himself during the 2025 Summer League: "I have to be a defensive menace."
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Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you're tracking the bronny james game log to see if he's "making it," stop looking at the NBA points column. It’s a distraction.
First, watch his G League shooting percentages. If he can stay above 36% from deep over a 20-game stretch in South Bay, he becomes a viable NBA rotation player. Right now, he's too streaky. One night he's 5-for-11 from deep, the next he's 0-for-4.
Second, look at his "Deflections" and "Steals." That is his path to staying in the league once LeBron retires. He needs to be a "3-and-D" guard. The "D" is there; the "3" is coming.
Finally, ignore the DNP-CDs (Did Not Play - Coach's Decision). The Lakers' roster is top-heavy and trying to win now. Bronny's development is happening on Tuesday nights in El Segundo, not Saturday nights on national TV. If you want the real story, you have to follow the G League box scores. That's where the future is actually being written.
Check the South Bay Lakers schedule for his next high-minute game. Compare his field goal attempts in those games to his NBA appearances. You'll notice he's much more aggressive when he's the primary option, which is exactly the confidence the Lakers hope will eventually translate to the big stage.