Bronny James has taken so many hits over the last month and a half, you’d think he’s prepping for an NFL rookie minicamp rather than this month’s NBA Draft.
But basketball is in fact the path that LeBron James’ youngest son is pursuing. And despite pedestrian numbers in his lone season at USC (under 5 points and 3 rebounds, largely as the sixth man), and less than ideal measurables at the NBA Draft combine (he stands just 6’1), Bronny’s a near lock to be drafted.
While he lacks ideal numbers in the three S’s: skills, size, stats, his famous father’s DNA and overall influence are undoubtedly the reason he’ll hear his name called on either the first or second night of the NBA Draft (June 26th and 27th).
Good for him.
Bronny’s been chewed up and spit out more than Copenhagen. Who cares if he’s gifted an end of the bench spot on an NBA team because his father just so happens to be the league’s all-time leading scorer and arguably the most influential player to ever lace 'em up?
Wouldn’t you do the same for your son if you could? As a father, I know I would. How many of us landed jobs because our dad knew the owner at the local pizzeria that was hiring, or your old man was college roommates with the bank manager who just so happened to be looking for a new loan officer?
Would anyone stop themselves from aiding their son or daughter in a job search if they knew they had some influence on getting them hired?
I certainly wouldn’t.
Most of us work our tails off in part so that our kids don’t have to work as hard as we do. This doesn’t mean we want our kids to have a free pass. Far from it. We want their hard work to be rewarded and for their paths to be a little smoother than those paths we traveled before them.
Yes, I realize occupying a spot on an NBA squad greatly differs from kneading dough and filing papers, but Bronny James has put in the work in an effort to chase his NBA dream.
LAS VEGAS - Bronny James of the USC Trojans looks on in the first half of a first round game against the Washington Huskies during the Pac-12 Conference basketball tournament at T-Mobile Arena on March 13, 2024. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
Bronny James Spent One Season At USC
By all accounts, he’s a good kid who, unlike his famous father, generally avoids the camera. Bronny was rarely heard from prior to last month’s NBA Draft combine. He doesn’t seek out interviews or attention. When you do see or hear from him, he carries himself like a seasoned pro.
And in case you forgot, his dad is a gazillionaire. Bronny does not need an NBA paycheck. Or any paycheck for that matter.
Last summer, Bronny suffered a cardiac arrest during practice, but still elected to continue his playing career. He didn’t need to. He didn’t need to play college basketball or pursue the NBA. Because of the massive influence his dad carries, Bronny would likely be selected in the Draft by name alone, even if he chose not to participate in the Draft Combine - something that’s commonplace for most top prospects and even some lesser talents.
Instead, he participated in May’s combine, going through all the drills, testing, and interviews in Chicago.
"I put in the work and stuff like that to get back, so I feel like I’ve earned the opportunity," Bronny James said from the combine last month, via the Associated Press. " I’m extremely grateful for everything that’s been given to me."
Can you blame a father for giving an extra nudge as his son inches his way towards a dream?
Are there better prospects than Bronny in this Draft? Absolutely. And all indications are that plenty of NBA scouts are far from enamored with the younger James. But does that mean it’s a foregone conclusion that selecting Bronny will be disastrous to an NBA franchise?
Hardly.
An NBA Team Will Likely Select Bronny James In The Draft's 2nd Round
Let’s say Bronny is selected in the Draft’s second round - seemingly the consensus among scouts and media about where he’ll eventually land - are we really sure he’d be occupying a roster spot from someone who is that much better? Hardly.
These are 4 of the final 5 picks of the 2023 NBA Draft:
- Jalen Slawson - 12 games played
- Isaiah Wong - 1 game play
- Tarik Biberović- spent the season in Turkey
- Chris Livingston - averaged 1.2 ppg in 21 appearances
Livingston, by the way, averaged 6 points in his lone collegiate season at Kentucky.
But the thought of drafting a 19-year-old former 4-star recruit from a Power 5 conference who shares the same DNA as a four-time NBA Most Valuable Player is an unspeakable tragedy.
Sure.
The increasingly popular anti-drafting Bronny James crusade has as much, or more, to do with Bronny’s dad than the much maligned draft prospect. Depending on who you ask, LeBron James is either the most liked or disliked NBA player of the last 20 years. For all his immense talents, James whines as often as a colicky newborn. The amount of attention he craves would leave you to believe his surname is actually Kardashian.
Undoubtedly, those actions - viewed by most as flaws - make LeBron James an easy target to root against. And Bronny is an extension of that.
When Boston and Dallas meet in the NBA Finals, the end of the Celtics’ bench will house Jordan Walsh and Drew Peterson. Dallas will have Brandon Williams and A.J. Lawson.
Household names, right?
Could or should Bronny James occupy a similar roster spot on any of the league’s other 28 teams a year from now?
Maybe. And neither he nor his dad should apologize for it.
Follow along on X:@OhioAF
