LeBron James has seemingly achieved all that he had hoped for as his playing career in the NBA winds down. His most recent achievement was creating history as the first father-son duo to play in the league on the same team. However, since that time, Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James‘ performances have prompted a different question.
Talks of nepotism were raging on social media platforms when the team in purple and gold drafted the younger James. But many prominent analysts and sporting legends have countered those claims citing nepotism as a standard practice in other fields, such as coaching.
But the rookie’s performances, both as part of the parent organization and that of their G-League outfit, South Bay Lakers, has forced the same analysts to rethink the situation. Most notably, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith went on to suggest that it is the older James who is to be blamed for his son’s struggles.
The father-son duo marketing campaign has fizzled out
When Bronny James first checked into an NBA game alongside his father, the packed Crypto.com let out a rapturous roar. Fans were happy to see the two do something that has never been done before. The 39-year-old was ecstatic as his dream came true and the James family dominated media outlets.
A few weeks in, and that fanfare has died down. Now fans are not concerned about the father-son duo hype, as the focus shifted to James Sr. and his team’s performances. The Lakers are doing decently well and are showing signs that they could do better down the stretch.
One of the players playing a massive role in that run is rookie Dalton Knecht. Where he is crucial to their bench scoring, his fellow rookie is nothing but a part of the home games cheer squad. In the event they set themselves for a blowout win, James Jr. could get a minute or two.
Bronny James’ horrendous G-League performances
To add insult to injury, the 20-year-old’s struggles in the G-League have raised eyebrows. Where fellow rookie Quincy Olivari is among the scoring leaders, Bronny James has yet to breach the double-digit mark. That too, his Summer League shooting woes seem to have continued into this league.
Bronny James has been horrendous for the South Bay Lakers (Image via Open Source/X)It is evident that the star needs a lot of developmental work into his game. But scoring 10 total points from two games with the South Bay Lakers suggests he may not even be ready for the G-League. That league consists of players who are fighting to get their hands on a full-time contract.
With one already in his pocket, the lack of urgency is evident. Even a former star who coached Bronny James in the past suggested that he lacks the aggressiveness others have. But there are players who play a passive game and have been successful. However, it takes time and most importantly, development.
LeBron James fast tracking his son into NBA has stunted his development
That development would have been possible had he stayed at least one more year at USC. Under new head coach Eric Musselman, he would have had a proven teacher to improve his game. But it seems, after one season, the family decided it was better for him in the professional league.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James and his family were in the spotlight for much of the early season (Image via LA Lakers/X)Maybe they felt that there were better coaches in the NBA to help their eldest son. But LeBron James once mentioned last season that his son would play better than some of his teammates. That has come to backfire on the all-time leading scorer as his son is struggling to prove his worth, even in the developmental league.
It begs the question if the billionaire superstar pushed his son too early to fulfil his dreams, as he knew all too well that his son did not have the year he hoped for in college. It is not as if teams do not draft raw developmental prospects. However, Bronny James’ body of work so far has questions whether he is raw enough to even be mentioned in that same sentence.
The James family enjoyed all the hoopla around them when the father and son duo created history. But now, that hype has turned into anger among fans. Maybe the Los Angeles Lakers know better than the fans and have seen enough to hand him that four-year contract.
Only time will tell if it all pans out and the former McDonalds All-American becomes a star in the league. But as of now, it seems that dream might take some time to materialize. Bronny James needs to continue working on his game and prove everybody wrong and probably save his own legacy.
