Bronny James said on April 26 that scoring his first playoff points for the Los Angeles Lakers gave him significant confidence as he continues to adjust to postseason basketball. The sophomore guard made a three-pointer and caught an alley-oop pass from his father, LeBron James, during Game 3 of the series, marking his initial contributions in NBA playoff action.
James reflected on the experience, saying, “It’s what I always wanted, especially a playoff game. The first playoff bucket is great for me, great for my confidence and how I approach the rest of the playoffs. I think it was great for it to happen then… I appreciate the coaches for believing in me and putting me back in the game.”
The alley-oop connection between Bronny and LeBron was also historic as it became the first father-son alley-oop in NBA postseason history. “I’m not sure when was the last time I got an oop from him. Probably in training camp last year, maybe this year. It was just one of those things. He saw me and saw that I was making eye contact with him, so he threw it up, and I can always go get it,” Bronny James said.
In addition to personal milestones, Bronny’s five points surpassed Houston’s entire bench production during Game 3; Houston reserves combined for only three points while shooting 1-for-11 from the field.
Looking ahead, Bronny is expected to continue playing limited minutes off the bench but may see more opportunities if he performs well during these stints. With increased experience over time, there is hope within the team that he will develop into a consistent rotation player capable of contributing throughout future playoff runs.
LeBron James described throwing an alley-oop pass to his son as a “special moment” during a critical stretch where multiple players needed to step up due to injuries on the roster.