Lakers' Bronny James takes center stage, confidence 'growing' - ESPN

LOS ANGELES — Raucous chats of «Bronny! Bronny! have been a regular occurrence late in Lakers home games, as the crowds at Crypto.com Arena pine to see rookie Bronny James play in garbage time.

Lakers coach JJ Redick — with nearly half his roster out because of injuries as L.A. completed its sixth game in eight days — didn't need any cajoling from the fans to put James in during L.A.'s 118-89 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday.

Rather than cheering James on as a sideshow, the Lakers guard took center stage, going 1-on-1 against two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo in the first half.

Dribbling the ball beyond the arc with Antetokounmpo guarding him in front of the Lakers bench where his father, LeBron James, sat in street clothes, Bronny James crossed over left to right behind his back and then back right to left on the Bucks star as „oohs“ and „ahhs“ filled the arena.

The play finished with James losing the ball out of bounds — but only after he had driven into the paint past Antetokounmpo, with the Bucks star grabbing him and no whistle from the referee.

»He's a much bigger guy than me," the 6-foot-3 James said of the 6-11 Antetokounmpo. «So I just got to find a way to get around him somehow. May have got fouled. That's up for argument, but it is what it is.

»I tried to get me a bucket."

That sequence might have resulted in a turnover, but he turned the playing opportunity into a career night, scoring a season-high 17 points on 7-for-10 shooting and adding five assists, three rebounds and a block in 30 minutes of playing time.

«Not surprised by tonight,» Redick said of James. «I think his confidence is growing.… I think the next step is just becoming an elite-conditioned athlete. Because when does that, with his