LeBron James took part in his 22nd NBA Media Day on Monday, but a lot of the attention instead when to his son Bronny James, who was at his first after being drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round.
Bronny heads into the NBA as arguably the most popular and polarizing second round pick of all time. Many people do not feel he is ready for the league after playing limited minutes in one season at USC.
As is the case for most second round picks though, Bronny is expected to spend a majority of his rookie season in the G League so he can get consistent minutes and develop his game.
When asked about that possibility in an interview with ESPN Los Angeles at Lakers Media Day, James did not have a problem with it:
“I know that I’m not going to be thrown into the rotation immediately. So, I’ve accepted that role and I’m coming in and getting better every day and learning from the vets and people that are going to be receiving heavy minutes. I have no problem sitting back and learning these first couple years and then building up from there,” James said.
It’s good to see that Bronny is heading into his rookie season with the right mentality. He is known to be a hard worker just like his dad, and that will be necessary to develop into an NBA-caliber player.
With opportunities likely far and few in between on the Lakers this season, the South Bay Lakers are the best avenue for Bronny. Rest assured though, he will still share the court with his dad and make history at some point early in the season.
Magic Johnson agrees Bronny James should spend rookie season in G League
One person who is in favor of Bronny James spending his rookie season in the G League is Lakers legend Magic Johnson as he recently made that suggestion.
“If I’m Bronny, I would tell my dad just let me play in the G League all season so that I can develop,” Johnson said. “He needs playing time. He doesn’t need to be sitting on the Laker bench and not playing. And that’s not a knock against him, he’s just not ready. He needs to develop more, and then he will be ready. Because he has some great talent and skills, but he needs to develop those skills at a much better clip if he wants to play 15-20 minutes a night in the NBA or more.”
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