Bronny James scored in doubles figures for the fourth consecutive NBA G League game with 16 points in the South Bay Lakers’ 98-90 loss to the Greensboro Swarm Thursday in a Winter Showcase game in Orlando, Florida.
The oldest son of NBA career scoring leader LeBron James made five of a team-high 15 shots, including making two of five 3-point shots, and both free throws. The 6-foot-2-inch, 210-pound guard pulled down four rebounds and had a game-high five assists in 33 minutes, 26 seconds of play.
Center Kylor Kelley led South Bay (4-11), the Lakers’ G League affiliate, with 18 points.
Guard Nick Smith had a game-high 33 for Greensboro (10-5), the Charlotte Hornets’ NBA G League affiliate. Smith was selected by the Hornets in the first round of the 2023 NBA draft, the 27th overall selection.
Under the NBA G League’s experimental one free throw rule, one made free throw is awarded one, two or three points in the event of any foul that would typically result in one, two or three free throws being shot under standard NBA rules.
The rule does not apply during the last two minutes of the fourth quarter or all of any overtime period.
James scored 16 against the San Diego Clippers Dec. 7, 30 against the Valley Suns last Thursday and 16 against the Suns on Friday.
The NBA G League Winter Showcase is the league’s annual in-season scouting event, when all teams converge in one city to play in front of NBA general managers and player personnel executives from all 30 NBA teams. It is held shortly before NBA teams can begin signing players to 10-day contracts.
South Bay will play its second and final game at the Winter Showcase at 9 a.m. Pacific Standard Time Saturday against the Osceola Magic. The game will be televised by ESPNU.