All the spotlights were on Bronny James last night. Sure, he’s often been under them usually for the wrong reasons. However, this time it was for all the right ones. The 20-year-old stepped out of his father LeBron’s shadow and delivered a remarkable 30-point performance, silencing his doubters for now. Yet, there remained one die-hard Lakers fan whom Bronny still couldn’t impress.

Needless to say, Snoop Dogg is a huge fan of the LA franchise. His passion is evident in the way he follows the team and frequently discusses them on shows and social media. When he appeared on First Take earlier today, host Molly Qerim asked the $160 million rapper whether it was a breakout performance for Bronny. Snoop Dogg boldly responded, “I think it’s experience. There’s no such thing as breakout in the G League. Come on now. Quit playing with me. That’s the experience.”

Snoop Dogg highlighted, “You’re getting experience, you’re getting some know how to how to have that killer instinct, instinct, you know, with guys that’s more your level. But when you get to the big game, them little dudes over there not gonna be playing in that NBA game.”

Instead of acknowledging Bronny’s impressive debut with the South Bay, Snoop Dogg emphasized that playing in the G League would provide him with valuable experience to sharpen his skills. “It’s teaching him how to actually attack because, I see he attacks now. Because he’s getting more run, you’re getting more playing time. You actually get to get on the floor,” the 53-year-old added.

After facing criticism for not participating in away games, Bronny joined the South Bay squad for their road game against the Valley Suns on Thursday night. And then, he stunned the crowd with 25 minutes of brilliance. While Snoop Dogg might not have been sold, a cheer did come for Bronny but not in the usual way.

Opinionated analyst underlines Bronny James’ shooting struggles while offering praise

The remark came from Skip Bayless, who didn’t hesitate to commend the youngster on his X post, stating, “Way to go, Bronny! First sign as a pro of real potential!” However, he then mentioned the stat line highlighting his struggles. “30 at Phoenix in a G League game! Came into the game (Summer, G, NBA) 25-82 from floor (30%) & 3-33 from 3 (9%). Last night: 3-3 from 3 in 1st half! Yes, 0-6 from 3 in 2nd half .,.. but PROGRESS. Now 3-16 from 3 in G (9%),” the veteran analyst wrote.

Was it truly a compliment though? Bronny succeeded in shooting 13-of-23 from the field and 3-of-9 from the deep. Sure, he had some challenges with accuracy but his overall performance cannot be overlooked.

Despite Bronny’s hard work, South Bay could only manage 100 points and lost the game as Valley scored 106. However, as Bayless pointed out, this could be his first sign toward success, and he can work his way up in the upcoming fixtures. For now, he can take a moment to breathe, with the criticism finally silenced for the time being.