The Los Angeles Lakers were ridiculed when they selected Bronny James in the 2024 NBA Draft, a decision that most saw coming but still were surprised to see actually happen.
The Lakers seemingly selected Bronny because of their affiliation with LeBron James, but members of the organization have emphatically said they took the rookie because of his skills and potential. Unlike his father, Bronny is a project player who needs reps and time to develop into a full-fledged NBA player.
It hasn’t always been pretty at the NBA level for Bronny, who appears undersized and struggles shooting from the perimeter. However, the rookie guard got the call to play for the shorthanded Lakers against the Denver Nuggets and he wound up playing 16 minutes off the bench in the loss.
Bronny has been shuffling back and forth between the parent team and the South Bay Lakers, but credited his ability to stay ready once he received word he’d be going to Denver, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“Yeah, I’m always just trying to stay ready as much as I can, whether I’m playing in the G or up here with the big guys. Always trying to stay ready, we have stay-ready games in practice and stuff like that so I’m always ready to go at it and give it my full effort.”
As LeBron’s son, Bronny has been subject to plenty of criticism though he said he simply focuses on living his life and working behind the scenes:
“I always try to stay as low-key as I can, whether that’s media or everything really, living life. But just putting in the work behind the scenes I feel like has been really good for me. I worked all summer before the draft and I’m still working right now. I can see improvement, it’s been going well for me.”
James is mature beyond his years and seems to do a great job of handling the extra attention he gets from the media and fans. Being the son of arguably the greatest player of all time comes with immense levels of pressure, but Bronny appears unfazed and focused on becoming the best player he can be.
Stephen A. Smith claims he’s never been critical of Bronny James
Recently, LeBron James confronted Stephen A. Smith about some comments he made about Bronny James. Following the on-court talk with LeBron, Smith claimed he has never been critical of Bronny.
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