It truly doesn’t matter what Bronny James will do during his NBA journey, he will always be associated with his father LeBron. Now that the team that has employed the four-time champion for the past six years has selected the 19-year-old with the 55th pick of the 2024 Draft, the claims of nepotism around his career have only magnified.
Rich Paul, who serves as both the players’ agent, assured not too long ago that he attempted to steer other teams away from the young adult and only accepted private workouts with two clubs: the Phoenix Suns and the purple and gold.
Just as the young guard was introduced in Los Angeles on Tuesday, he was able to confront these accusations. However, it was his own coach JJ Redick who was quick to push away the notion that the player is only there because of his father. “Rob and I did not give Bronny anything. Bronny has earned this,” Redick said.
#𝟗 for the @Lakers: Bronny James pic.twitter.com/oTpYSU12X3
— NBA TV (@NBATV) July 2, 2024
“Bronny talks about his hard work. Bronny has earned this through hard work,” he assured. “And for us, prioritizing player development, we view Bronny as like, case study one. Because his base level of feel, athleticism, point of attack defender, shooting, passing, there’s a lot to like about his game, and as we sort of build out our player development program holistically, he’s gonna have a great opportunity to become an excellent NBA player.”
Believe him or not, Bronny guaranteed that the chance to play professionally with his father played no role in his decision to enter this year’s draft after a lone season in USC. The rising star assured that he can handle all the extra attention and pressure he receives.
“I’m … trying to get my name out for myself,” the rookie said this Tuesday. “I just want to come in and get my work in and get better every day. I never really had a thought of me going to play with my dad. That’s always there to take part of, but it wasn’t a main focus of mine.”
In a news conference at the team’s training complex, the Los Angeles club formally introduced him next to the club’s first-round pick, Tennessee wing Dalton Knecht. However, most of the attention went to the No. 55 overall selection.
Never has a father and son played in the NBA at the same time, let alone compete with the same team, as the James duo are set to make history
LeBron has already broken so many records in the league, but never did he believe he would create a whole new mark involving his eldest son. Never has a father and son played in the NBA at the same time, as they assure to be ready to deal with the pressure of playing in the same squad together.
“It’s for sure amplified the amount of pressure,” Bronny shared. “I’ve already seen it in (social) media and on the internet and stuff talking about (how) I might not deserve an opportunity. But I’ve been dealing with stuff like this for my whole life. It’s nothing different. It’s more amplified for sure, but I can get through it.”
The 19-year-old was asked plenty about the fact that he decided to jump straight into the NBA after a single campaign of college basketball, but he stirred the answers away from this narrative. However, he did reflect on how he dealt with his cardiac arrest episode that happened almost a year ago.
“The time that I had off, I feel like I could have been perfecting my game more,” James Jr. said. “I just feel like I’ve been given the opportunity to showcase what I can really do, because I wasn’t given that much of an opportunity at SC. So I’m excited for what it’s going to be.”
