Alright, so I’m doing it. The people have asked that I write about the possibility of the Celtics drafting LeBron James Jr. and I am going to deliver.
According to a post on his Instagram, Bronny has plans to enter this year’s NBA Draft, as well as the transfer portal.
USC Trojans freshman guard Bronny James will enter the 2024 NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility and will also enter the transfer portal, he said on Instagram Friday. pic.twitter.com/uZlqrfQPvb
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 5, 2024
For the past several years, there has been speculation that LeBron would ultimately like to suit up alongside his son before calling it a career. His current contract with the Los Angeles Lakers includes a player option for next season, meaning he can choose to become a free agent this summer.
Should he decide to do so, he’d have the power to fulfill his goal of sharing the floor with Bronny.
That’s all fantastic… as long as that floor isn’t parquet (that’s right Orlando, I’m including you here too, not really).
I would be sick to my stomach if Woj or Shams hit me with the “LeBron James will team up with Bronny in Boston” tweet.
Even without considering the structure of the current roster, luring LeBron to the Celtics would be horrific. Imagine turning on the TV and having to support the guy who is vociferously booed every time he touches the ball at the Garden. All of the whining, throwing teammates under the bus, and passive-aggressive tweets would make my head explode.
For some fanbases/teams, sure, you’re willing to stomach some pride in order to field a more competitive team. It feels like Celtics fans are above that, right?
On top of the emotional/pride layer of this, there’s the on-court aspect of this. As I’m writing this, the Cs are hours from trying to earn win No. 61 on the season against the Sacramento Kings.
The team looks as good as it has in 15 years, all of the players seem to get along and actually want to see one another succeed, and the group plays great team basketball on both ends of the floor. Why on Earth would you want to bring in someone who could capsize all of that?
Anytime LeBron is part of a team, it’s always his doing when they win, and everyone else’s fault when they lose. Personally, I’d like to see Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown avoid any additional scrutiny, on top of what they already face from the media and fans.
LeBron is a fantastic player and one of the best (or the best, you’re entitled to you’re opinion) to ever lace ‘em up. He’s got a brilliant basketball mind and sees the game at a level that very few can hope to.
He’s just not someone that ever needs to wear Celtic green. He doesn’t like it here, the fans (for the most part) don’t care for him either. There’s no need to jeopardize the great product that the organization has put together over this.
As for Bronny, he’s fine. The billing on him is that he’s a defensive menace on the perimeter, whose game needs some work offensively. In 25 games at USC this season, he averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 36.6% from the field and 26.7% from beyond the arc.
He’d probably benefit from an extra year or two in college to continue to hone his skills before making the jump to the NBA. It just doesn’t feel like he’s quite ready to head to the next level — and that’s okay.
LeBron shouldn’t be putting any pressure on his son, or any NBA teams, to ensure that he’s in the league next season. I don’t think that he is, and we haven’t heard anything of that nature from the media. But, if he enters too early, it could be brutal for his confidence and could ultimately ruin his reputation as an NBA player.
This is really just my opinion. You’re allowed to disagree. If you think having LeBron on the Celtics would be fun, then more power to you.
Thanks for reading.
