Bronny James addressed the Los Angeles Lakers’ struggles following a 136-108 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night at crypto.com Arena, focusing on effort, defense, and growth during a stretch without several key starters. The young guard finished with 12 points and six assists as the short-handed group tried to keep pace with Victor Wembanyama’s 40-point performance.
The second-year guard said the priority entering the matchup was simple despite the tough opponent and missing stars. “Just think our main priority was just coming out and playing hard and playing defense and trying to get some easy looks on offense in,” James said. “So, I think that’s what we try to do and didn’t end up being the way we wanted to, but I think we played well.”
San Antonio’s franchise centerpiece scored 37 points before halftime, forcing Los Angeles into constant adjustments on both ends of the floor. James acknowledged the challenge of defending the 7-foot-4 forward, saying, “It’s something else for sure. I’m one of the smaller guys on the floor guarding the tallest guy in the league. So, it’s definitely a challenge, but I’m up for anything.”
The Lakers entered the game without Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves, placing additional defensive responsibility on younger rotation players. “I’d say defensively… that’s my role that I want to excel at, especially on this team,” the guard said, adding that veterans like Doncic, LeBron and Reaves handle scoring while others focus on stops.
James also reflected on his development compared to last season, noting increased comfort in his role. “Yeah, for sure. Feel different. Feel way more comfortable,” he said. “My teammates believe in me, my coaches believe in me, and that’s all I’ve wanted.”
Despite the loss, Los Angeles remains in the middle of the Western Conference playoff race, making the upcoming game against Dallas critical before the break. “Yeah, I mean it’s just the most important,” James said. “We got to end the first stretch of the season offright and hopefully come back the second stretch with an empty head and open mind.”
The young guard emphasized that internal belief has not changed despite injuries limiting lineup continuity. “I know that our team believes that we can be contenders and make a deep playoff run,” he said. “Once we get healthy… it’s just going to come down to playing hard and playing smart.”
San Antonio’s win marked its fifth straight and strengthened its position near the top of the conference standings, while Los Angeles dropped its second consecutive game after facing Oklahoma City and the Spurs on back-to-back nights. The Lakers will host Dallas on Thursday as they attempt to stabilize momentum before the schedule resets.
