Bronny James is only four games into his professional career, but he's already receiving praise from some of the NBA's best players.
James, who had 13 points, five rebounds, three assists and two blocks against the Cleveland Cavaliers, earned praise from Thunder center Chet Holmgren at the X.
“Looked totally professional,” Holmgren wrote in response to a tweet summing up James' game.
James, who played just one year at USC before entering the NBA draft, provided a number of highlights in the game, including a nifty step-back 3-pointer.
The 55th overall pick has had some ups and downs during his limited time with the team in Summer League, but is now coming off two straight good games.
In Wednesday's win over the Hawks, James totaled 12 points, one rebound and one steal.
Through the first two games, James made just 3-of-19 shots and scored just 10 points.
During James' second summer league game against the Boston Celtics, star forward Jaylen Brown appeared to overpower James and his skill set.
Brown later took to social media to clarify his comments, but the ripple effects of his perceived opinions continued into Thursday.
When asked if Brown clapped back at fans when they praised James, Holmgren said, “No.”
The 22-year-old center parlayed his Summer League play into a standout rookie season, averaging 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.3 blocks per game while finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting behind Spurs phenom Victor Wenbanyama.
Holmgrem formed a vaunted trio with MVP candidates Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams in Oklahoma City and led the Thunder to the best record in the Western Conference before losing to the Mavericks in the second round of the playoffs.
Before missing the entire 2022-23 season due to a broken foot, Holmgren appeared in two summer league games before beginning his first year back healthy, averaging 20.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 3.5 blocks per game.
James and the Summer League Lakers will next face first-round draft pick Matas Buzelis and the Bulls on Saturday at 7 pm ET.
