The Los Angeles Lakers’ season hasn’t even started yet and LeBron James and his son now teammate Bronny James are already dominating headlines. It is for an understandable reason as they will make history as the first father-son duo in the NBA, which has been a dream of LeBron’s for a long time.
While it is a cool story for LeBron and the James family, this pairing could also present a distraction depending on how much playing time Bronny gets with the Lakers.
Seeing how much scrutiny the 20-year-old is already getting, there is going to be pressure for him to perform immediately. And in the spotlight of L.A. and playing with his father, who is one of the greatest ever, no second round pick has dealt with this kind of pressure.
At a recent practice, LeBron was asked about how his oldest son would handle the outside noise and responded accordingly.
“You got to ask him,” LeBron said. “That’s a grown man. Ask him how he’s handling it. And then we go from there. But he’s a grown man. He’s a professional. He can handle all this pressure himself. But we know why — good or bad why — the attention is here.”
Ultimately, Bronny can speak for himself and does not need LeBron to cover for him. While it may make sense for the 39-year-old to defend his son and Bronny’s ability to handle this outside pressure, this response was the right move.
By bringing in head coach JJ Redick, the Lakers are taking pride in developing young talent that comes through the organization. With an increased emphasis on creating homegrown talent, this bodes well for the former USC Trojan as he still needs time to grow as a player.
The expectation is for Bronny to see most of his time in the G League with the South Bay Lakers and build up his offensive game this season. Although media attention could follow him, it’s clear that development should be his main focus.
Charles Barkley: Lakers rookie Bronny James will have target on his back
For Bronny James to be a year removed from a cardiac arrest and live out his dream by playing in the NBA next to his dad is incredible. Unfortunately, there are going to be critics due to Bronny’s last name and Charles Barkley thinks that is the reason why the rookie will have a target on his back this season.
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