Bronny James, the son of 21-year NBA veteran LeBron James, was recently drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft. Bronny’s spot on the Lakers’ roster is monumental for professional basketball, as it will be the first father-son duo in NBA history. However, there has been considerable speculation about the nature of Bronny entering the league, particularly after he had an underwhelming showing at his Summer League debut.
During the exhibition against the Sacramento Kings, Bronny scored only four points, shooting 2-for-9 on the floor with two rebounds and two assists. The Kings ultimately defeated the Lakers 108-94 in the matchup. Before his selection as the 55th pick in this year’s draft, Bronny’s statistics in his one season at USC did not resemble that of an NBA prospect. The American Tribune previously reported:
Giving credence to the criticisms of his detractors, Bronny did not start on the USC Men’s basketball team while playing in college. Furthermore, some have pointed out that his stats did not resemble that of an NBA prospect, where he averaged “4.8 points on 36.6% shooting (26.7% from 3), 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 19.3 minutes per game at USC,” according to ESPN.
However, Bronny’s college career was interrupted by an unexpected cardiac arrest, which prevented him from “perfecting [his] game more.” Regardless, many have speculated that Bronny’s entrance into the NBA could have been influenced by nepotism and the influence of his father, one of the greatest players in history and the league’s all-time leading scorer.
However, Los Angeles Lakers head coach J.J. Reddick dispelled any notion that Bronny’s spot on the team was the result of any assistance from LeBron. Reddick, a former NBA standout, maintained that Bronny “earned” his spot on the roster. The Tribune recently reported on the coach’s remarks in which he emphasized that, “Rob and I did not give Bronny anything.”
“Bronny has earned this. … Bronny has earned this through hard work,” Reddick continued. Bronny also weighed in on the rampant speculation toward his game. “For sure, amplified amount of pressure,” he said. “I’ve already seen it on social media and stuff, and the internet and stuff and talking about that I might not deserve an opportunity. But I’ve been dealing with stuff like this my whole life. So it’s nothing different, but it’s more amplified, for sure. But I’ll get through it,” he continued.
Before Bronny was drafted, his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, explained how he sought to find a team that truly valued his client’s spot on their roster. “The goal is to find a team that values your guy and try to push him to get there. It’s important to understand the context and realize that this has always been the strategy with many of my clients throughout the years, especially those in need of development like Bronny. My stuff is by design,” he said.
“Bronny’s [draft] range is wide,” Paul further told ESPN. “He’s a really good prospect who has a lot of room for growth. It only takes one team. I don’t care where that team is — it can be No. 1 or 58 — [but] I do care about the plan, the development. The team’s strategy, the opportunity and the financial commitment. That’s why I’m not doing a two-way deal. Every team understands that.” Watch highlights of Bronny’s debut below:
Note: The featured image is a screenshot from the embedded video.
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