Just last week, LeBron James delivered a perfect pass to his eldest son to set an NBA record for the first-ever father-son assist. Against the Dallas Mavericks, though, it was time for Bronny to return the favor, but he fell short of his dad’s expectations. Addressing the elephant in the room, the 21-year-old saw extended minutes off the bench on Sunday after Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves were sidelined by potential season-ending injuries. The viral moment came in the third quarter with just over five minutes remaining and the Purple and Gold trailing by eight.

Marvin Bagley III tipped Bronny’s pass to his dad out of bounds. That led to an annoyed reaction from the 41-year-old veteran. One of the broadcasters narrated the incident, saying, “On the floor together, Bronny to LeBron, and kind of looks at his son and says, ‘Give me a bounce pass.’ I love that look, because that look was not just LeBron the veteran, but also LeBron the dad.”

Despite the small error, Bronny responded sharply, knocking down a corner three-pointer later in the quarter. That move definitely pleased his father. Over the last five games, Bronny has averaged 4.6 points, 0.6 assists, and 0.6 steals in 12.7 minutes of action. The 6’2 guard is shooting 39.1 percent from the field and 33.3 percent on his 3-point attempts. Clearly, the second-year player has more in his bag, as his NBA numbers reflect a limited role, while his G League performance with South Bay tells a different story.

There, Bronny has thrived, averaging 15.6 points in 14 games on a hyper-efficient 56% from the field and an even more impressive 45.6% from beyond the arc. You can’t directly compare these numbers to an NBA game, though. But on Sunday, he got nine minutes of action, finishing with five points and one assist as the Lakers fell 134-128. That said, James is working toward a bigger picture.

LeBron James and his purpose with “sponge” Bronny James

In the game against the Thunder, the 21-year-old logged extended minutes from the bench, playing 18 minutes. The result was that Bronny scored 10 points, his first double-digit game since February 10 against the San Antonio Spurs, when he guarded Victor Wembanyama and scored 12 points. JJ Redick has taken notice of the minutes he’s earned. The second-year guard is also thankful. “I think I learned a lot,” Bronny told the Southern California News Group. “Just trying to not play with the ball as much; get my team into whatever action we are in as quick as possible. We just need to take care of the ball better.”

Amid all the criticism online, LeBron James doesn’t hesitate to praise his son, especially after a good performance. Last week, Bronny had a career-high G League performance, recording 26 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Something that stood out was his efficient shooting: 9 of 12 from the field and 6 of 8 from three-point range. The Akron Hammer couldn’t hold back his joy and took to X, writing, “Bronny going NUTS right now!!! WOW.”

While Bronny is growing and learning from his own experiences, his father wants to set the right example. “I have an even more of a purpose to show up to work, to work out to train because I know he’s looking like, ‘Okay, that’s how you be a professional right there.’ So, I have a responsibility with him around,” James said about taking no shortcuts and leading by example. The Lakers veteran also called his son “a sponge” who just watches and learns.

“I think Bronny being around, obviously, my whole career, he’s seen opportunities where how I handle the media, how they’ve handled me, and he’s taken it from there,” James continued. “He’s pretty damn good, man. He’s a special kid, man.” This proves the capabilities that Bronny has in his bag. Once he gets significant minutes on the court, the G League numbers suggest a player ready to unlock a higher ceiling at the NBA level.