The Lakers got cooked Thursday night at home, as the Charlotte Hornets escaped with a 135-117 beatdown. LaMelo Ball dropped 30 points, drilled nine threes, and turned the Lakers’ defense into a Jesus piece. But the real story came late in the fourth quarter when I made an eye-popping remark about LeBron James’s son, Bronny James.
Bronny checked in during garbage time for just a casual one-minute run. In that short time, he got a chance to lock down Collin Sexton on a drive and bumped him. The contact was strong enough to send the Hornets guard flying to the sideline.
Ball caught the moment courtside while drinking water and reacted, “DAMN, BRONNY, YOU A STRONG A$$ N——-.” Broadcast cameras captured every moment, and since then, the clip has gone viral.
Lamelo Ball to Bronny James:
“DAMN BRONNY, YOU A STRONG A$$ N*GGA”
😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/HF5QQF3YYM
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) January 16, 2026
Quite frankly, Ball looked genuinely shocked that a 6’2″, 210-pound guard could stand his ground, and that level of physicality works best in football. However, Ball’s eye-popping remarks again encounter the idea that Bronny should no longer be an NBA player.
Already, people don’t have any high expectations regarding LeBron’s son, and the Hornets’ guard just put some gasoline on the fire because Ball’s cheeky expression made it clear that he wasn’t praising Bronny’s routine defensive stand.
Most of that run comes in mop-up duty when the game’s already decided. JJ Redick doesn’t trust him in competitive situations. Neither does Rob Pelinka because Bronny sometimes sleeps on defense.
His G League stats also look worse, which doesn’t allow the nepotism talk to take a break. Whatever chances he gets are all because of his guard contract, but credit actually goes to his last name.
Fans Skeptical of Bronny James’ Role Following LaMelo Ball’s Amazed Reaction
Fans didn’t hold back after the clip hit their news feed. Everybody is taking the developmental narrative differently.
One fan wrote, “Bronny should go back to school and play wr.”
Another fan added, “LeFlop and his nepo baby need to leave my team expeditiously.”
A third shared, “ngl i dont remember him looking like a chipotle bag.”
The fourth said, “Definitely an Earl Thomas type.”
A fifth fan claimed, “Bronny lowkey should be on a young team.”
Lakers fans are kind of fed up with watching their team struggle while Bronny barely contributes. And when he does get burn, it’s because the game’s already over.
Ball, however, dominated from halftime, scoring 27 of his points in the second half. Eight of his nine threes came after the break. He quieted Crypto.com Arena as the Lakers watched it slip away.
Luka Doncic finished with 39, and LeBron had added 29, but Charlotte’s young roster outplayed Los Angeles, and the gap felt bigger than the 18-point final margin.
