The Los Angeles Lakers selected Bronny James in the second round of the NBA Draft, a decision that sparked a wave of criticism from fans and analysts alike. Many questioned the selection, accusing the Lakers of nepotism due to LeBron James‘ leadership role with the team.
However, numerous individuals came to the defense of both LeBron and Bronny, including former Miami Heat champion and LeBron’s teammate, Mario Chalmers.
In an interview with Scoop B Radio, Chalmers took the opportunity to praise the James family for reaching this historic milestone. “I salute Bron,” Chalmers said. “I salute him and his son for even having a chance, to have his son be that good to be at that level and Bron for being in shape to still be at that level. You can’t take that away from him.”
Bronny has already made his Lakers debut, and while his initial performance wasn’t ideal, he showed significant improvement as the season progressed. He eventually posted a career-high 17 points, alongside 4 rebounds and 3 steals, during a 132-74 loss to the Golden State Warriors.
Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers is fouled by Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Golden State Warriors during the first half of their preseason game. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Though Bronny’s performances have steadily improved, it’s likely that he’ll spend significant time in the G-League to continue developing as a professional. However, before that, Bronny is set to make history by debuting alongside his father in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, becoming the first father-son duo to play together in NBA history.
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Redick praises Bronny after career-high game
Following the Lakers-Warriors matchup, head coach JJ Redick spoke highly of Bronny and the team’s younger players, highlighting Bronny’s patience and growth. “I think for him and all our younger players, all the moments are building blocks. Not just the good moments,” Redick said in a postgame interview.
He added, “The bad moments are learning opportunities. I think you have to have a level of patience, a level of optimism. I’m very confident in the level of work that our young guys have had.”
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Redick also emphasized that while scoring is important for any player, he’s particularly impressed with Bronny’s development in other areas, noting, “I’ve seen real improvement and attention to detail from all our young guys. So yeah, I’m encouraged by all of it.”
