Bronnie James finished his second summer league stint and didn’t hold back when he gave him some thoughts about the event.
For the second year in a row, Bronnie James was one of the most famous players to take the court in the NBA Summer League.
He made his debut last summer after being selected 55th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2024, but his father’s fame turned his attention to Bronnie, far from the superstar, but managed to bloom into a quality defensive player.
This summer he found more success in the summer league, but he was critical of the event.
Bronnie has been successful in court and enjoys his fame, but Las Vegas has not appealed to him.
Bronnie is 20 years old. This means you won’t be able to visit the clubs, casinos and bars that make Vegas famous frequently. The downtime he had during the summer league was limited, and he was stuck in the desert when he wasn’t playing or practicing.
“A lot is going on in Vegas,” he told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “I personally don’t like summer league at all. I like competition and games, but I don’t like coming to Vegas and being in Vegas.”
Bronnie said he “didn’t do anything” during his stay in Vegas, but that may not have been because there were no attempts. In Las Vegas, local restrictions limit not only what people under the age of 21 can do, but even as much as they can.
Besides basketball, for Bronnie, the city is hot, dry and boring. He is not the first big name to complain about having a summer league in a town inaccessible to most young players.
“Bronie Fever” swept the Summer League in 2024 and 2025, but in 2023 all eyes were in Rookie Victor Wenbagnama. Perhaps the most hyped draft pick of all time, Wenby played two summer league games for the San Antonio Spurs, averaging 18 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks.
Wenbanyama is what tells us how it is, and in one of his first media appearances after being drafted, he didn’t restrain.
“I mean, for me, it’s probably the closest thing to dystopia,” he said. “I’m not the biggest Vegas fan.”
The Summer League has been hosted in Northern California, Salt Lake City, Orlando and Las Vegas since 2002. Previously it was a small event for scouts and executives to attend, but it has become a spectacle for the next few weeks, drawing fans from all over the country and enjoying what Vegas has to offer.
For players, Vegas doesn’t offer much, and there seem to be conditions for growth that prefers another city over the hosts.