The Los Angeles Lakers’ Bronny James made only the second start of his career on Saturday night in the team’s 119-95 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. With the Lakers navigating a rash of early-season injuries, James earned his first start of the 2025-26 campaign.
Though he did not produce statistically, James logged valuable minutes for the Lakers. His starting role came due to key absences, including Marcus Smart (illness) and Rui Hachimura (calf), giving the sophomore guard an elevated opportunity as his regular-season minutes have been inconsistent.
Before tonight’s game, the 21-year-old was averaging 2.3 points, 1.9 assists, 1.0 rebounds, and 0.9 steals over 12.1 minutes per game. He joined Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Jake LaRavia, and Deandre Ayton in the starting lineup.
Bronny James stats today
James played 10 minutes in the Lakers’ 119-95 win over the Bucks on Saturday night. He finished with 0 points on 0-2 shooting, both shots from three.
| Points | 0 |
| Field Goals Made/Attempted | 0/2 |
| Three-Pointers Made/Attempted | 0/2 |
| Free Throws Made/Attempted | 0/0 |
| Rebounds | 1 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Steals | 1 |
| Blocks | 0 |
| Turnovers | 0 |
| Minutes Played | 10 |
Though he made his first start of the season, James had little impact on the game. He missed a few opportunities and saw limited minutes.
Bronny had 3 open 3s in the corner and didn’t even LOOK at the basket.
Ben Simmons without the passing 😭 pic.twitter.com/wx100DYl0m
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) November 16, 2025
Though, he got what’s most important: the win.
Bronny in the starting lineup:
1 REB1 AST1 STL0 PTS
Got the win. pic.twitter.com/SSJNclqPD8
— StatMuse (@statmuse) November 16, 2025
Why did Bronny James start vs. Bucks?
James started tonight’s game against the Bucks due to injuries and absences to other players on the Los Angeles Lakers roster.
Specifically, the Lakers were missing both Marcus Smart, who is dealing with an illness, and Rui Hachimura, who was ruled out with a calf issue.
Bronny James career stats
James’s has played 35 regular-season games played and one career start (prior to Saturday’s start against the Bucks).
Across his career, he is averaging 2.3 points per contest over an average of 7.9 minutes of playing time. James contributes on the defensive end with 1.1 assists and 0.5 steals per game, alongside 0.7 rebounds. His shooting splits sit at 30.8% from the field and 27.5% from three-point range, though he has been highly effective from the free-throw line, converting 81.3% of his attempts.
