We might debate whether Bronny James has done enough, or anything, to deserve the attention he has received from ESPN and other sports media sites, but there is no doubting that fans are interested in watching him.
On Saturday, James made his NBA California Summer League debut for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Sacramento Kings. The Kings won 108-94, and the younger James had four points, two rebounds, two assists, and one steal. In 22 minutes on the floor, he went 2-for-9 from the field and 0-for-3 from three.
While the stats were unremarkable and the game’s outcome was inconsequential, spectators still tuned in. According to Sports Media Watch, the game averaged 534,000 viewers on ESPN. The network confirmed the number to Awful Announcing as well.
This is ESPN’s largest audience ever for a non-Vegas Summer League game. It may not be Caitlin Clark’s figures, but it is not insignificant, especially considering the circumstances.
ESPN has made a concerted attempt to hype James and promote his status on the Lakers roster alongside his father, LeBron James. It appears to have paid off in the near run. With the Bronny-LeBron scenario and the advent of new head coach JJ Redick, the Lakers are sure to give ESPN enough to talk about this NBA season. We’ll see if it continues to convert into large numbers, even if LA doesn’t live up to the promise on the court.
