Bronny James, selected 55th overall in the last NBA Draft by the Lakers, signed a four-year, $7.9 million contract with the team, making him part of the first father-son duo to play together with LeBron James in the NBA.
In his debut against the Sacramento Kings during the Summer League, Bronny had a modest performance with 4 points (2 of 9 from the field, including 0 of 3 from three-point range, and 0 of 2 from the free-throw line), 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal in 22 minutes at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
Following his debut, Bronny faced criticism from analysts and fans questioning whether he could uphold his father’s legacy. LeBron came to his son’s defense, revealing a stark contrast in their personalities.
What did LeBron James revealed about Bronny
After Team USA’s training camp for the Paris Olympics, LeBron spoke to ESPN about Bronny’s mindset: “I don’t know if people really understand Bronny. He doesn’t care. I actually care a little bit [about the criticism]. When I came in [as a rookie], I wanted people to like me, and some of the things people said about me bothered me early in my career. … He doesn’t give a —–.”
“He does not care about nobody. He doesn’t even listen to that stuff. He’s like the coolest. He’s like the complete opposite of his dad. His dad will say something [to address the critics]. Bro does not care. … Everything that’s being said about him, he really does not care,” James told ESPN via Dave McMenamin.
LeBron further explained: “When I was coming up, I had no choice. I literally had no choice. … I had to make it out for me. My mom, my family, my hometown, my city. Bronny has all the choices in the world. If Bronny wants to stop right now or never play basketball or just wants to be a gamer or wanted to be a chef or wanted to be nothing to whatever, he could have done that. … People don’t understand how hard that is and the commitment for him to be coming out of heart surgery less than a year ago, for him to be able to be in the NBA, the kid, he’s special.”
With these insights, LeBron highlighted not only Bronny’s indifference to external criticism but also the unique challenges and opportunities his son faces.