Following Bronny James‘ selection by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the NBA Draft, the basketball world was rife with skepticism and criticism. As the son of LeBron James, Bronny will inevitably face intense scrutiny and debate. Recently, he found himself at the center of controversy over claims of receiving preferential treatment compared to his Summer League teammates.
A couple of days ago, an anonymous player, who shared the locker room with the son of the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, alleged preferential treatment toward Bronny, which didn’t sit well with several Lakers teammates, according to The US Sun.
The Lakers player who preferred to speak anonymously had stated that “They treated him differently, not like the rest of us, and that’s very upsetting because we don’t feel chemistry within this group of players.”
However, the narrative took a surprising twist when rookie Blake Hinson, who had an impressive Summer League performance, refuted these claims in an interview with Lakers Nation.
Blake Hinson #36 of the Los Angeles Lakers in action at the second half of a 2024 NBA Summer League game at the Thomas & Mack Center. Candice Ward/Getty Images
Blake Hinson sets the record straight
In a conversation with Trevor Lane and Matthew Peralta of Lakers Nation, Hinson denied any special treatment for Bronny, dismissing the rumor as baseless. “No. Where is that at? Honestly, you know how it is. Stuff like that doesn’t really shock me,” Hinson said. “But we need to figure out if that’s even true because to be totally honest with you, as far as his treatment, he was just a normal guy.”
Hinson continued, “He just played basketball, he really stays out of the way. He’s a cool dude. I don’t really understand how something like that came out. So that’s nonsense to me.”
The rookie concluded by praising Bronny’s attitude both on and off the court: “Cool dude off the court, cool dude on the court. I don’t really understand that nonsense that you just informed me about. That’s not accurate, it shouldn’t be accurate.”
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NBA News: Draymond Green defends LeBron James" son Bronny from the critics
With Hinson’s statements, it seems the allegations of Bronny James receiving special treatment may be more fiction than fact, putting to rest any doubts about the young player’s integration into the Lakers’ team dynamic.
