Bronny James Jr. has been polarizing the basketball world in the weeks leading up to the NBA season. The son of one of the greatest basketball players to ever live was drafted with the 55th overall selection in the 2024 NBA Draft.
He now plays for the Los Angeles Lakers. That’s right, he’s teammates with his father, Lebron James. This marks the first time a father and son will share the NBA floor at the same time in the league’s history.
This has sparked a debate that has dominated the headlines for months: did Bronny James deserve to make the NBA, or is he the most prominent case of nepotism in NBA history?
Should the Lakers have drafted Bronny James?
It’s no surprise that claims of nepotism would arise with a father and son playing side by side on an NBA court. As a prospect, Bronny has a notable congenital heart defect that likely caused a cardiac arrest shortly after he arrived on campus for his freshman campaign.
He also exhibited lackluster statistics in his lone season at the University of Southern California (USC). Averaging just 4.8 points per game, many analysts posit that if Bronny James was not the son of an NBA legend, that he would not garner interest from any teams at the professional level.
According to ESPN Senior Writer Baxter Holmes, an anonymous executive from the Eastern Conference went as far as to say, “If they had any idea how far away Bronny is, they just would not have done this.”
This sentiment is shared by many in the basketball world and could be a genuine cause for concern for Laker fans everywhere if this theory proves to be true.
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How can Bronny silence his critics?
Despite the many critics, there are people who genuinely believe in Bronny James and his talent. Ramona Shelburne reports that the Golden State Warriors and Head Coach Steve Kerr, “liked Bronny’s skillset” but decided against taking him at the 52nd pick in order to “respect the wishes” of Lebron James and the Lakers.
In his limited showing during the preseason, Bronny seems to have a high basketball IQ and a high motor. The negatives, however, were concerning as he shot an abysmal 24% from the field and 8% from three-point range. He did, however, shine in one game against the Golden State Warriors on October 18th, scoring 17 points and grabbing 4 rebounds.
Despite the obvious holes in his game, Bronny has shown flashes of greatness. Of course, preseason analysis has to be taken with a grain of salt.
The real test began on October 22nd when the Lakers took on the Minnesota Timberwolves in their home opener. LeBron and Bronny made history when they took the court during the matchup. Bronny played just three minutes, however, shooting 0-for-2 from the field, notching one rebound, and finishing with a -5 rating.
This debate that has polarized the sports world can only truly be settled years from now after Bronny’s career is over. Until then, all eyes will be on him and the Lakers.
