Bronny James Headed to G League, Analyst Says He Will Find His ‘Inner Dog’ There

Bronny James is headed to the NBA G League, and one NBA analyst thinks he’ll find his “inner dog” there.

LeBron’s oldest son has been assigned to the G League’s South Bay Lakers and is expected to make his debut against Salt Lake City on Saturday, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. James will play only home games for the South Bay, switching between the G League and the NBA as the Lakers see fit.

“Maybe he needs to live the (G League) life, find out what it’s all about,” Boston Celtics analyst and Sirius NBARadio co-host Brian Scalabrine said on air last month, when Bronny eventually went to G League. “Maybe this is exactly what he needs.

“He’s got to find the inner dog in him, and that’s what I think he’ll find down there. It could be the best thing for him.”

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The 6-foot-2, 20-year-old guard has scored a total of four points in four games with the Lakers and has played a total of 13 minutes. He has two assists, a rebound and a steal.

Scalabrine said competing against older players and riding to games on buses instead of living the prime life of an NBA player will sharpen James and reveal if he can actually compete in the NBA.

“That’s what we want to find out,” Scalabrine said. “We’re not going to find out when we’re playing five minutes on the end of the Lakers bench. . . . The best thing is that we’re going to find out. There’s nowhere to go for the (G League). There’s no places to hide. He has a four-year-old ($7.9 million). deal….This is it right here. If you go down there, you have to fight for your crumbs. And that’s how it’s going to be for him, and we’re going to be able to figure it out.”

He added, “If this thing is going to work, Bronny’s going to have to find who he is, and it’s probably not like the 12th, 13th, 14th man on the Laker bench. He’s going to have to find himself in the G League, playing 30 minutes a night with the guys leading the way for him.

“You always find out what you’re made of when you’re stuck in the fire, and I think he’s got to be stuck in the fire.”

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Adam Zagoria is a freelance reporter covering Seton Hall and NJ college basketball for NJ Advance Media. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamZagoria and check out his website at ZAGSBLOG.com.