Nick Young Advises Bronny James to 'Miss With Confidence' and Take His 'Bad Luck Tyler Perry Braids Out'

After a disappointing debut, Nick Young suggested that Bronny James needed to approach the game differently.

July 18, 2024

Nick Young and Bronny James on a split screen. Nick wears casual clothing with a hoodie, and Bronny is in a Lakers jersey holding a basketball

Prince Williams and Monica Schipper via Getty Images

All eyes are on LeBron James' 19-year-old son Bronny James after he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, but Nick Young, 39, has some advice he thinks will help him overcome the pressure.

"Bronny is not a 3 and D guy stop just saying stuff to be polite Bronny can play ball just take them wash ass bad luck Tyler Perry braids out lol," tweeted Nick Young on Wednesday, July 16, suggesting he agreed with the disappointment surrounding Bronny's recent NBA debut. "Play with the confidence of Thanasis like I wish a mf would say something to me and yo ass is cut or fire .. play with the confidence of my dad own the nba what they gonna do to me.. have fun out there and miss with confidence that shit will start falling."

Whether James got word of Young's advice or not, he put in his best performance so far later that day during a game in the Summer League against the Atlanta Hawks. He scored 12 points during the game, showcasing the promise that got him attention in the first place.

"Coach swaggy know what he be talking about," Young wrote on Thursday. "Had to give my young fella the swaggy speech, miss with confidence and they will start to going in .. he came in the game like fuck this imma be me tonight.. love that Bronny way to ball out."

Following the Lakers' 87-86 win against the Hawks on Wednesday, Bronny told ESPN he feels like he's getting into a groove now.

"If I go out there and play my game every game, results like that will come," he said. "So I feel like that's a big part of how I came out [tonight]. ... My mom, my dad really help me, encouraging me to stay focused and keep being myself."

For what it's worth, Bronny's father LeBron recently told ESPN that his son pays no mind to critics.

"He does not care about nobody. He doesn't even listen to that stuff," LeBron said. "He's like the coolest. He's like the complete opposite of his dad. His dad will say something. Bronny does not care. ... Everything that's being said about him, he really does not care."