Bronny James Surprises All, But It’s Yuki Kawamura Who’s Turning Heads in NBA Summer League Day 3!

• Edgecombe still out. The 76ers VJ Edgecombe has yet to make his Las Vegas Summer League debut due to a thumb injury. Will we see him, or will the 76ers just shut him down for the remainder of Summer League?

• Maxime Raynaud will be heard. Maxime Raynaud wins the award for most vocal player at Summer League. The 7-foot French center who played last season at Stanford was a second-round pick of the Kings, is constantly calling out opponent plays on defense, trying to alert his teammates to what is coming — and he is not quiet about it. This is a good thing. Raynaud signed a three-year, .9 million contract with Sacramento. He will be there in the fall, and fans will hear him.

Bronny James showing improvement

The fan favorite at Summer League is Yuki Kawamura, the 5’8″ Japanese star who is playing for the Bulls in Las Vegas — and making plays that light up the crowd.He’s playing all out and putting on a show in Vegas, trying to earn another shot in the NBA.• Jeremiah Fears is fun to watch. Jeremiah Fears’ buckets are entertaining.

“His passing out of the pick and rolls and really seeing,” Lakers Summer League coach Lindsey Harding said of Bronny’s improvement. “And it’s not just the pass to the big rolling, it’s if the low man comes over, he sees the man in the corner. Right? It’s the whole floor. And I think it’s easy to see one read, but, like, he’s developing everything else. Understanding where everyone else is on the floor and where their defenders are coming from.”Bronny has looked strong in transition, but the most noticeable improvements are in the half court. His handle has improved, and with that has come some confidence. His court vision and decision-making may be what has made the biggest leap.We do with Bronny James. He looks considerably improved.There is still work to be done if Bronny wants to become part of the Lakers’ rotation, with the biggest being that his shot needs to improve. In Saturday’s game against the Pelicans, Bronny got inside and was 4-of-6 shooting in the paint, but was 1-of-5 on 3-pointers. That follows a trend, through all of Summer League Bronny is 4-of-18 from 3.Bronny James with back to back strong drives to the rim to make tough buckets near the rimLas Vegas played host to a vibrant weekend of hoops action as the 2025 NBA Summer League kicked off with two courts buzzing and eight games delivering buckets, breakaways, and plenty of drama. The early chatter? It’s electric. From the eager eyes tracking up-and-comers to seasoned pros aiming to cement their place, the opening weekend gave us a rich tapestry of moments that demand a closer look. Noteworthy performances and unfolding stories dotted the hardwood, with one young player, in particular, catching the eye — Bronny James. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg in this sweltering desert showdown. Buckle up, because the Summer League is serving up so much more than just preseason filler — it’s where futures are forged and legends start to stir. LEARN MORE

Fan favorite in Vegas? Yuki Kawamura

Cooper who? Bronny, are you kidding?The ESPN commentator called him LeBron 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/MqvdtaLmUf• Check out Noah Rubin’s story from the battle of the No. 1 and No. 2 picks, Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper. It was a good day for Flagg — and Carter Bryant.Ignore the hype. On the court, Summer League serves as a measuring stick for players. Their first year sets a baseline, but when they return, the question becomes: Do we see the improvement?

Other notes from around Summer League

The hype around Bronny James has not subsided. As evidence, for the marquee game of opening night of the Las Vegas Summer League, the NBA chose to match the second-year player and No. 55 draft pick against No. 1 pick and rising star Cooper Flagg. The league saw that as its biggest draw (and it was right, the game was the fourth-highest-rated Summer League game ESPN has ever shown).LAS VEGAS — Two courts, eight games, there is a lot to see the first weekend of the 2025 NBA Summer League Las Vegas. Here are a few notes and the highlights we saw.Kawamura was the shortest person with an NBA contract last season (a two-way with the Grizzlies) and he got in 22 games for Memphis. Before that, fans might remember him playing for Japan in the Paris Olympics, where he averaged 20.3 points and 7.7 assists per game.His misses are also entertaining — and there were a lot of them. Through two games in Las Vegas, Fears is 9-of-33 shooting (27.3%). He plays without, well, fear and will take he hard shots, but he looks a little sped up at Summer League. The efficiency should come with time.“We want him to play on the ball. We want him to play off the ball. Especially in tight moments,” Harding said. “I like the ball in his hands and I want him to make those decisions. You can go through as many drills as you want, but nothing beats live. So, when you’re live, you make your decisions, and then you also learn by film.”