BIG3 league CEO Ice Cube says Bronny James is welcome to come to his league, but he’d have to earn his spot in it. Cube appeared on Real 92.3 LA’s The Cruz Show on Friday, where he was asked if there was space for James in the BIG3.
“Yeah, of course,” Cube said. “He can always come out and try to make a team. We can’t give him a space, but he can get drafted and earn a space.”
The BIG3 was founded back in 2017 and a host of former NBA players have played in it over the years. The only active player to feature in Cube’s league is Jaylen Brown, who played in the 2023 All-Star Game in London. Will James be the second one? I doubt it.
James doesn’t appear to be interested in being a full-time G League player, so I don’t see how he’d be willing to take another step down. The fact that such a question was even posed to Cube, though, shows how rough of a start the 20-year-old has gotten off to in the pros.
James has barely played for the Los Angeles Lakers, who selected him with the 55th pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, averaging just 2.7 minutes per game in the 2024-25 season. He has put up 0.7 points, 0.2 rebounds, 0.3 assists, and 0.2 steals per game in that time.
A better indicator of how good James is was always going to come in the G League and, unfortunately, the early signs aren’t positive. He has averaged just 5.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game for the South Bay Lakers. The rookie hasn’t been efficient either, having shot only 21.1% from the field.
Of course, James, who is on a four-year, $7.9 million deal, still has time on his hands. He could one day turn out to be a solid NBA player.
As for Cube, James looks set to be the second big name to turn down the chance to play in the BIG3. He had offered Caitlin Clark a two-year, $10 million deal after her final college season at Iowa but she declined and went to the WNBA.
Gilbert Arenas’ Theory On Why Bronny James Has Struggled In The NBA
Former NBA player Gilbert Arenas has been one of James’ biggest supporters in the media and he has a theory for why the rookie has struggled. Arenas explained why Bronny’s game isn’t working in the NBA.
“I like the bones of what he could be,” Arenas said. “I think the problem with Bronny’s game is he’s not aggressive and when you’re not looking to score it becomes a problem… It’s like the Ben Simmons case, right? When you’re looking to make passes, you miss everything.
“If you just be ultra-aggressive like, I’m looking to score, you stop me, then I make the pass,” Arenas continued. “But if you sitting here trying to make a pass and the rim is right here… it becomes a harder game. I like some of the things he does. Sometimes it’s just like in your mind you’re already trying to pass the ball. That’s not how you supposed to play the game. It’s not your game.
“When you look at the Jason Kidds, the Steve Nash, they’re passers but because they’re so aggressive like, ‘I need to touch the paint here, I know where to pass.’ How they look at the game is still an aggressive look,” Arenas stated. “His game is passive, all the way around.
“Everything is secondary to him,” Arenas added. “… It’s just this awkward thing when he is supposed to shoot it he passes, when he is supposed to pass he shoots.”
I think this might well be down to the fact that James has struggled massively with his shot since entering the NBA. He isn’t quite as confident as one would normally be to just let it fly when the opportunity presents itself. If and when he starts shooting better, he might start making better decisions.
James and the 10-5 Lakers will take on the Denver Nuggets next at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday at 10:30 PM ET. They saw their six-game win streak come to an end against the Orlando Magic on Thursday and will be looking for a return to winning ways.
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