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Lakers rookie Bronny James revealed father LeBron James' rival Steph Curry's message to him after his preseason best 17-point outing against the Warriors on Friday night. The 20-year-old caught up with the two-time MVP after getting his first start. Curry wasn't active because of a finger injury.
However, he made sure he gave Bronny some advice after a decent outing following a slew of underwhelming performances in preseason.
The Lakers rookie was asked about the conversation between him and the Warriors star. Bronny opened up on that chat (via Spectrum SportsNet):
"Mainly just him telling me to play my game and be myself. Also just giving some pointers on things to do in certain situations, but nothing too crazy."
(Bronny's answer on Steph's message begins 3:45 onwards.)
Bronny James also got to guard Steph Curry and vice versa when the Lakers faced the Warriors on Tuesday night on a couple of possessions. On Friday, Bronny didn't play against Curry, but he faced the rest of the Warriors rotation for majority of the 35 minutes he played.
He made the most of it, scoring a preseason-high 17 points, shooting 7 of 17. Bronny also had four rebounds and three steals. He made his first shot from deep in preseason but went 1 of 5 from 3.
Nevertheless, it was an encouraging effort from LeBron James' eldest son after a rough stretch of games, where he ended up scoreless twice in five outings.
Bronny James reflects on getting his confidence back
Bronny James hasn't had many highlights since a cardiac arrest in August slowed down his basketball career to a degree. It delayed his college debut and limited him to a short stint at USC, where he didn't thrive as much. Playing 25 games, he managed only 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in his lone NCAA season.
He got drafted after his first season, and many considered him underprepared for the NBA. Bronny himself revealed he's still not 100% since his health scare.
"My days aren’t normal anymore," Bronny said in an interview with Men's Health. "I still feel like I’m getting back to where I was."
That has reflected in Bronny's initial few months as a Laker. He had a subpar start to Summer League before he found his rhythm towards the end. It was, in some way, a similar situation during preseason. When Bronny got his best opportunity with more minutes and less pressure against the Warriors, he ensured he delivered a solid outing.
"[It gives me] just a little bit of confidence going into the season even though I might not be in that rotation, might not be playing, but just going into practice, maybe G League games with that confidence in myself to go out there and play my game," James said about his preseason performance.
Bronny James will hope to carry this momentum into the season when he gets a good run with the South Bay Lakers in the G League.
