Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick did not hold back in his criticism of Bronny James during their 119-95 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Luke Doncic was the standout performer in their 10th win of the season on Sunday, scoring an impressive 41 points.
The team are still without LeBron James, although there is optimism he could make his first appearance of the season on Tuesday night against the Utah Jazz.
When he returns, James will become the first player in NBA history to play in 23 seasons.
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His absence during the opening weeks has given others, including his son Bronny, a chance to impress.
The 21-year-old made just his second NBA start against the Bucks, but only lasted a few minutes after two moments of hesitation.
After missing his first shot, James' confidence was clearly dented.
When Doncic found him open in the left corner, he hesitated and passed the ball back.
Moments later, Doncic found him again on the opposite side, but James again decided against attempting the three-pointer.
Doncic was clearly unimpressed with James' decision-making and threw his arms out in frustration.
But the response from the head coach Redick was even harsher.
He shouted: "Bronny, you gotta shout the f*****g ball!"
Bronny was pulled off after four minutes, and did not return until the second half.
The incident was a stark contrast to how Redick had felt towards James during pre-season.
After one warm-up game against the Phoenix Suns, Redick explained how much he had developed by playing in the G League.
As per Essentially Sports, he said: "He is so much more comfortable and confident as a player…
"Skill-wise, read-wise, all of those things have improved, but there’s a big difference between improving those things in individual workouts and small group settings, and doing it 5-on-5.
"He’s a totally different player than he was a year ago.
"I thought the stuff that he did down in the G League last year was huge for him in developing a comfort level in playing at this level.”
James has now appeared in nine NBA games this season, averaging just 11.9 minutes per match.
He scored his first points of the campaign at the start of November against the Miami Heat.
And followed that up with five points against the Trail Blazers, two against the Spurs and a season-high nine against the Hawks.
Since then, he has struggled and has failed to score in the previous four games.
Topics: NBA, Lebron James, Basketball, LA Lakers
James Taylor