Lakers’ JJ Redick Sends Clear Message to Bronny James

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Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst located in Indianapolis, Indiana who covers the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, and college sports. He has been featured on many publications, including Athlon Sports, ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, Sporting News, and many others. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son.

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The Los Angeles Lakers are going to be an interesting team to watch during the upcoming 2025-26 NBA season. With Luka Doncic and LeBron James still leading the way, they are hoping that a championship run could be possible.

Another name worth keeping a close eye on is Bronny James.

Heading into his second NBA season, no one knows what to expect. He didn’t play much as a rookie, but he has shown some development. However, he still has a lot of work to do.

Can James break into the rotation during his second year? That is the question. How can he make that happen?

Read more: Lakers’ Luka Doncic Receives Strong Contract Advice From NBA Agent

JJ Redick, the Lakers’ head coach, spoke out with a pointed message to James. He shared one thing that the young guard must do in order to have a chance at becoming a quality NBA player.

“The biggest thing for Bronny is that he has to get in elite shape,” Redick said. “That’s the barrier of entry for him right now. And if he does that, I think he’s got a chance to be a really fantastic player in the NBA.”

Not long ago, James spoke out about what he feels he needs to do in order to force his way onto the court. He believes everything will start on the defensive end of the court.

“There’s gonna be guys that can score 15, 20 a game,” James said. “I’m most likely not going to be that guy right now… I’ve got to be a defensive menace.”

He also opened up and shared how he’s doing from a health perspective. After going into cardiac arrest in college, James still feels some lingering effects.

“I get kind of sick easier now,” James said. “Which is kind of weird, but I think it messed with my immune system a little bit. So, I would have times where I have to sit out, and that conditioning that I’m working on just goes away in that week of me being out.”

Read more: Knicks Linked to 2 Intriguing NBA Free Agency Options

With Redick giving James a clear goal, he will need to work on his conditioning. If he can get into the best shape of his life and become an elite defender, Los Angeles may have no other choice but to play him.

It will be interesting to see what year two has in store for the Lakers and James. Perhaps he’ll get a much bigger opportunity to play, or it could just be another quiet season for the son of one of the NBA‘s best all-time players.

For more on the Los Angeles Lakers and general NBA news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.

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