If history has taught us anything, it’s that the South Bay is more than just a G League stop: It’s a proving ground. Alex Caruso made his way here. Austin Reaves refined his game here. Scottie Pippen Jr. regained the momentum here. Time and time again, the South Bay Lakers have developed players who return to the NBA or force the hand of an NBA team.
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Kobe Bufkin seems like the next name on that list.
Bufkin scored 27 points to lead South Bay to a 113-101 victory over the Memphis Hustle, turning in another all-around performance that continues to draw attention around the league. At just 22 years old, Bufkin plays with the confidence, poise and edge of someone who knows this opportunity won’t last forever.
Selected 15th overall by the Atlanta Hawks in 2023 out of Michigan, Bufkin entered the league with high expectations. But as is often the case with young guards, things did not go as either side had anticipated from the beginning. A new chapter opened on Nov. 13, 2025, when Bufkin was traded from Detroit’s G League affiliate Motor City Cruise and landed in the South Bay.
There is a certain poetry in it.
Bufkin is named after the late great Kobe Bryant, and now finds himself wearing purple and gold in the organization most synonymous with the Mamba legacy.
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“Kobe is my favorite player,” Bufkin said. “Just seeing his name on the wall, his pictures, it’s cool.”
That connection is not just symbolic. Bufkin often dons Kobe Bryant’s signature shoes and occasionally switches to Jayson Tatum’s JT line, but the influence is clear in the way he plays: fearless, aggressive and relentlessly competitive.
Jack Haslett – The Sporting Tribune
South Bay Lakers guard Kobe Bufkin (6) waits for his teammates to help him up during a G-League basketball game between the South Bay Lakers and Memphis Hustle on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, at the UCLA Health Training Center in El Segendo, California.
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Since arriving in the South Bay, Bufkin has been lighting up the scoreboard, averaging 28.3 points, 5.0 assists and 4.3 rebounds in his first four regular-season games. Against Memphis he set the tone from the beginning.
Bufkin scored 10 points in the first quarter, igniting a Lakers offense that jumped out to a double-digit lead and stretched it to 15 points in the first half. Every time the Hustle tried to close the gap, Bufkin responded.
The defining sequence came at the end of the third quarter. Bufkin committed an offensive foul on a moving screen, jumped back up, demanded the ball, attacked the line, floated on a tough finish, absorbed the contact and calmly sank the free throw to complete the three-point play for his 20th point of the night. It was a sequence that embodied his way of thinking: toughness, urgency and zero hesitation.
Bufkin finished with 27 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in 39 minutes, filling the stat sheet while controlling the game’s biggest moments.
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“Taking advantage of that, getting my teammates involved,” Bufkin said. “When they weren’t down there protecting the rim, I would take him to the rim and make shots.”
The defensive pairing of Buffkin and RJ Davis was overwhelming for Memphis. Davis controlled the pace, organized the offense and complemented Bufkin’s scoring prowess, finishing with 17 points. Together, they kept the Hustle off balance all night.
South Bay also received strong contributions across the board. Anton Watson scored 18 points, Tevian Jones added 14 and Kylor Kelley chipped in 13, while all five starters finished in double figures. Off the bench, Arthur Kaluma provided an immediate spark, scoring nine points in the first quarter alone and finishing with 16 points, knocking down all three of his attempts from beyond the arc.
Despite committing 28 turnovers, the Lakers found ways to score, shooting an impressive 16 of 35 (45.7%) from three-point range and building a lead that grew to 16 points in the second half. Defensively, South Bay protected the paint, turning away 14 shots in the win.
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“Something RJ and I have to talk about,” Bufkin said of the turnovers. “Slow down, get to our readings, but yeah, that’s on us.”
Even in victory, responsibility remains part of Bufkin’s approach – another trait reminiscent of the name embroidered on his chest.
South Bay now heads to Austin, Texas, for a two-game trip before returning home to host the San Diego Clippers on January 14. If Bufkin continues on this trajectory, it won’t be long before NBA teams start circling once again.
“I’ve seen a lot of things in the league, learning to keep your head down and keep working,” Bufkin said of the noise surrounding his name in the league.
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Another Kobe is emerging in the South Bay, and this one appears ready for his next opportunity.