The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a blowout loss on the second night of their back-to-back. LeBron James and Co. were tired from yesterday’s 105-104 victory against the Utah Jazz, which was evident in their lackluster performance against the Minnesota Timberwolves. As the team found themselves in a hole early on in the contest, Gilbert Arenas campaigned for Bronny James to be on the floor to salvage the situation.
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The Gil’s Arena crew shot a special live reaction video to the Lakers-Wolves game. As the Purple & Gold fell behind by 10 points midway through the second quarter, Arenas said half-jokingly “Where Bronny James at? If I am coach, I’m about to talk to Bronny, ‘Hey man, how’s the heel?’”
Gil wants Bronny to get in the game
(: @GilsArenaShow) pic.twitter.com/qLfhvVNpQC
— Playback (@WatchPlayback) December 3, 2024
Agent Zero’s laughter and winks toward the end of the video make it evident that he was being sarcastic. He was trolling the Lakers for their performance, joking that they might as well throw in the towel before halftime.
Through his cheeky comment, Arenas has highlighted a major issue –the Lakers lack bench players capable of providing the energy required to help the team get out of such slumps.
Ultimately, the Lakers suffered an 80-109 blowout loss. If Bronny had been with the squad, JJ Redick likely would have given him playing time as he did with the other reserves.
Bronny is dealing with a heel contusion
Fans got a glimpse of Bronny in NBA action during the preseason and the opening weeks of the regular season with the Lakers. The 6ft 2” guard appeared in six games, logging a few minutes per outing. However, his contributions weren’t significant, averaging just 0.7 points, 0.2 rebounds, and 0.3 assists per game.
The 19-year-old was subsequently assigned to the Lakers’ G-League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers. In his two games so far, Bronny has yet to silence his critics, averaging merely 5 points and 3 assists per game.
James Jr. is expected to spend more time in the G-League but is currently sidelined with an injury. A heel contusion has kept him out of action since November 17. Reports suggest that the two-way player is likely to return to the court by the second week of December.
Lakers Nation will hope for the teenager to excel in his return, silencing his doubters, and proving his worth when he inevitably gets called back to play alongside his father.
