In a stunning display of talent, Bronny James scored a career-high 31 points in a G League game, proving that practice makes perfect—even if you’ve already got a famous dad cheering you on from the sidelines.

Bronny's impressive performance, featuring a poster dunk and 25 points in the second half of a 122-101 victory over the Rip City Remix, not only highlighted his growth as a player but reinforced the importance of finding confidence after facing life-threatening challenges. Despite struggling with a mere 0.3 points per game in his limited NBA appearances, Bronny's breakout game in the G League suggests he may finally be shedding the infamous shadow of his father's legacy—unless, of course, LeBron shows up again in the stands.

In the game against the Rip City Remix, Bronny made quite an impact, shooting 10 of 22 from the field. His sharpshooting didn’t stop there; he also drained 5 of 11 attempts from beyond the arc. That's right—five three-pointers, which means the boy’s either got great aim or he was channeling a little bit of the laser focus of his father. Either way, it’s safe to say the defenders had a moderate panic attack trying to cover him.

While Bronny’s first-half numbers might not have sparked immediate excitement, he clearly decided that second halves are for superheroes. Scoring 25 of his 31 points in the latter half, including a particularly flashy 13 in the fourth quarter, he almost gave his teammates a heart attack as they watched his confidence levels rise like dough in the oven. Fellow G League players might want to take notes; there’s a lesson here about saving your best moves for when it really counts.

In 12 games with the Lakers, where he averaged a meager 0.3 points, it seems he struggled to find his footing. To put that into perspective: that means he scored roughly the same amount as most of us would if we were asked to play against toddlers armed with Nerf hoops. With a performance in the G League reminiscent of what happens when one finally hits their stride, it’s clear that Bronny’s ready to show the world he’s not just ‘LeBron’s son’—he’s Bronny, the budding basketball phenom, in his own right.

Bronny has spoken openly about his focus on regaining confidence and learning from every game, a sentiment that resonates deeply considering his health scare last July when he faced a life-threatening cardiac arrest. Such experiences have a way of shifting priorities, and they have injected a fresh perspective into how he approaches the game. Perhaps bungee jumping into the G League wasn’t in the plans, but it certainly seems to be working out in his favor.

With his recent G League performances averaging 16.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.2 assists, Bronny seems to finally be balancing the daunting expectations that come with the James surname and the familiarity of high-pressure situations on the court. After all, expectations are just like those jump shots: unless you make them, they’re not worth much.

On top of his newfound confidence and increasing performance output, Bronny was selected as the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and subsequently signed a lucrative four-year, $7.8 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. Now he has a few million reasons to keep working on that jump shot—and a little extra motivation on the side. No pressure, Bronny, but expect to be held to a bit of a higher standard by dad’s colleagues.

It’s worth noting that Bronny and LeBron made history as the first father-son duo to play in an NBA game together—a milestone that might make their family dinners a little bit more competitive. With a legacy so intertwined, Bronny, it seems, is carving out his own space in the league—and dunking away any anxiety one highlight play at a time.