Lakers News: Bronny James Summer League Teammate Offers Rave Review of His Approach

The Lakers earned their first Summer League win of the season on Wednesday.

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After struggling in the first five games of the 2025 Summer League, the Lakers pulled off their first win of the season. With strong performances from Colin Castleton and Blake Hinson alongside Bronny James' best NBA game so far, the Lakers were able to secure a comeback 87-86 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.

Castleton led Los Angeles with a 17-point, 12-rebound double-double along with six assists and two steals. Hinson scored 14 points and collected two assists, one rebound, and one steal while fellow rookie teammate James racked up 12 points with one steal and one rebound.

Following their first Summer League win this season, the night's leading scorer shared his positive opinion of James, understanding that the rookie has immense pressure to live up to the name of his four-time NBA champion father LeBron James.

"I think he's stepping into a good role," Castleton said. "It takes a little bit of time. He has a lot of pressure, a lot of things on him. So he has a great mindset. He's a great kid, great teammate, and we love being around him. Everybody in the organization loves being around him and he took great shots tonight and just got a good rhythm. So that was the biggest thing for him. Getting a good rhythm, but he's dealing with the pressure."

Since being drafted as the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft, the younger James has faced mass media attention and scrutiny over whether it was his name or talent that earned him a spot on the Lakers. Before Wednesday's victory, James averaged 4.3 points with a 22.6 percent field goal percentage and all missed 15 of his three-point attempts.

But, his performance on Wednesday relieved some of the pressure he has dealt with as he proved he is a talented player. Additionally, the young trio showed they can lead the Lakers to victory despite being considered developmental players.

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