EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Kobe Bufkin didn’t need much time to remind everyone who he is.
Back in South Bay on Tuesday night after the expiration of his 10-day contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, Bufkin stepped onto the floor against the College Park Skyhawks carrying a familiar mix of opportunity, pressure and perspective. The box score won’t scream masterpiece, but the moment did — and for a player still knocking on the NBA door, moments matter.
2 Kobe’s guarding each other tonight.
Kobe Bufkin vs. Kobe Johnson @SportingTrib@nbagleaguepic.twitter.com/09YlhQ2wQn
— Fredo Cervantes (@FredoCervantes) January 28, 2026
Bufkin, 22, returned to the South Bay Lakers after a brief but meaningful stint with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he was signed largely because of what he’s been doing all season in the G League: scoring at a high level. Entering the night, Bufkin was averaging 26.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists in nine games for South Bay, production that didn’t go unnoticed around the league.
There’s also the poetry of it all. Bufkin grew up a Lakers fan. A Kobe Bryant fan. Named after Kobe Bryant. For a kid like that, putting on a Lakers jersey — even for 10 days — isn’t just business. It’s personal.
That context matters, because the NBA part of the journey didn’t unfold quite fast enough for Bufkin to earn a second contract. In four appearances under head coach J.J. Redick, he averaged 3.0 points, 1.3 rebounds, 0.5 assists and 0.8 blocks in 11.3 minutes per game, getting brief opportunities while Austin Reaves worked his way back from injury. His best showing came on January 17 against Portland, when he scored nine points in 22 minutes.
Still, translating a high-usage G League scoring role into short NBA bursts is one of the hardest adjustments a young guard can face. The window is small. The margin for error is smaller.
So Tuesday night felt like a reset — and a test.
Bufkin finished with 19 points, three rebounds and five assists in South Bay’s 121-107 win, but the path there was anything but smooth. He struggled early, misfiring to the tune of 2-for-11 from the field and 1-for-5 from deep before the game reached winning time. And then, with five minutes left and the Lakers trailing by three, Bufkin grabbed a rebound, pushed the ball up the floor and pulled up without hesitation.
Splash.
The three tied the game at 100 and flipped the energy in the building. South Bay followed with a decisive 17-2 run, turning a tight contest into a comfortable lead. Bufkin didn’t suddenly get hot — he finished 4-for-14 overall and 2-for-7 from beyond the arc — but he stayed aggressive, lived at the free-throw line (5-for-5) and made the shot that mattered most.
Head coach Zach Guthrie acknowledged the human side of the night afterward.
“It’s natural, right? It’s his first game back against his former team. You know, there’s a human element to all of this,” Guthrie said. “I thought Kobe navigated that well. Didn’t have the best shooting night, but he still contributed to the team.”
That’s the takeaway. Bufkin didn’t force the moment, and he didn’t hide from it either. He trusted his work, trusted his confidence and trusted that one make can change a game — even on an off night.
Now, the next chapter is unwritten. Bufkin is free to sign with another NBA team if the opportunity comes, and until then, South Bay remains the proving ground. If the league was watching before, it’s certainly watching now.
The South Bay Lakers improved to 7-6 on the season and will host Salt Lake City on Thursday night. As for Bufkin, the mission is clear: keep playing his game, keep stacking moments, and keep the door open — because as Tuesday showed, he’s never afraid to take the shot.