With Bronny James only participating in home games for the South Bay Lakers, fans have been critical of his development. But Gilbert Arenas believes that the answer to his growth is a player already on the Lakers’ roster.
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Retired WNBA forward and the assistant coach for the Chicago Sky, Ty Young, was the latest guest on ‘Gil’s Arena’. After watching South Bay’s home game on the weekend, she gave her analysis on Bronny’s performance. “Watching him, it’s like he needs that hunger, to want to put in that work to be better,” Young said.
“See, and everybody thought I was silly when I said he should have worked with Quincy [Olivari],” Arenas added. “Like, he [Olivari] was going on workouts, giving his resume out. That’s a whole different type of hunger…You want to workout with that every day.”
Olivari, a 23-year-old guard out of Xavier, went undrafted this year but landed a 2-way deal with the Lakers in late October. His impressive performances during the Summer League earned him a regular spot on their G-League Team. Earlier this week, he was even called up for his first minutes in the NBA.
As an undrafted guard with five seasons of college experience, Olivari has had to work hard and prove himself at every step of the process. That’s the drive that Arenas believes Bronny could benefit from.
“You want the guy who, at any day, could be cut. You are fighting for your life to get to the NBA, and that’s who you wanna be around 24/7. They don’t got time for f***ery,” the three-time All-Star added.
Bronny needs to be hungrier to make it in the league 😤 pic.twitter.com/QYltpYF7VA
— Gilbert Arenas (@GilsArenaShow) December 10, 2024
With LeBron James sidelined due to foot soreness, JJ Redick called up Olivari to participate against the Portland Trail Blazers. In 8 minutes of action, Quincy went 1-of-3 from the field, knocking down one three-pointer.
Arenas believes that Olivari is a better player than Bronny at this time, adding another reason for him to work out with his fellow rookie. Though his comparisons may seem harsh, the 42-year-old has seen Bronny develop for several years now.
Bronny James and Gilbert Arenas worked out together for years
Five years ago, Agent Zero revealed that LeBron James had asked him to train his sons, Bronny and Bryce. Arenas brought his son, Alijah, and Bruins guard Skyy Clark to the workout and noticed that Bronny was struggling against them.
“Bronny’s getting, you know, he’s getting beat on,” Gil said on ‘Podcast P’. “I was like, ‘Hey man, stand up for yourself man!’ And then the look he gave me.”
The former Wizards guard recalled how the youngster took his comment to heart and immediately attacked the rim as retaliation. Not only did he score, he reportedly turned the tide around in his 1v1s. “And then [Bronny] ran the crew, 5-0’ed all of them,” Arenas added.
Perhaps this is the approach Gil is trying to take with Bronny and Quincy Olivari. He wants to see James bring out his competitive spirit and perform like he has something to lose. Unfortunately, we won’t see any more minutes from Bronny this month as the South Bay Lakers play four road games to close out the year. Their next home game will be on January 7th, when they host the Delaware Blue Cats.
