Lakers News: Bronny James Wins Call Of Duty Competition At Summer League

Matthew Valento
4 Min Read
Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

Pressure is mounting for Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James, who was selected with the 55th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. However, this pressure is unrealistic due to him only being 19-years-old and still developing as a player less than a year removed from his cardiac arrest.

But these lofty expectations come from people who expect Bronny to become like his father, LeBron, with him being one of the best prospects to ever come into the NBA. Not to say LeBron’s son cannot become a meaningful player, but the expectations simply need to be lowered.

At the end of the day, Bronny is a teenager and has a lot to learn when it comes to adjusting and developing as an NBA player. Yet, it is good to see that this outside noise does not bother him and continues to live his life.

That is evident by him winning a Call of Duty Two Minute Drill competition at Summer League in Las Vegas, allowing him to disconnect from basketball for a bit to play video games, which is a hobby of his, via Nice Kicks:

Bronny defeated Charlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams with a last-second victory, 84-83. This was the second-annual Call of Duty Two Minute Drill at the NBA Summer League, which featured the Lakers guard as its second winner after being a late addition.

Winning this competition rewarded the 19-year-old a $10,000 prize and a custom-made Call of Duty Championship Belt. Originally held over the first weekend of Summer League, July 13 and 14, this event featured 60 NBA players going against each other in a winner-take-all format.

Some other notable players who attended were Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George, Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder, rookie Stephon Castle from the San Antonio Spurs, Matas Buzelis of the Chicago Bulls, Jalen Williams from the Oklahoma City Thunder and rookie Cody Williams of the Utah Jazz.

Bronny James not worried about what level he plays at this season

A lot was made about whether Bronny James would expect to play on the Lakers or if he would be OK with spending most of his rookie season with the South Bay Lakers. But, that does not matter to the former USC Trojan as he simply wants to play basketball at the end of the day.

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Matthew Valento graduated from Boise State University with a major in integrated media and strategic communications and a minor in journalism. He grew up in Santa Clarita, California and played basketball at Saugus High School. Along with writing for LakersNation.com, Matthew also hosts a basketball podcast called, "The Basketball Maestros." Contact: MattV@MediumLargeLA.com Twitter: @matthewvalento Instagram: matthew.valento