Bronny James has been used to being in front of the media throughout his 19-year-old life. He is considered the best player in basketball history LeBron James’s firstborn son. In recent days, however, Bronny has been under extremely heavy media pressure.
Bronny, 19, was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 55th pick in the second round of the NBA Draft. In the same team as where father LeBron James, 39, who was chosen as the NBA’s best player four times, plays.
On Wednesday, Bronny signed a four-year, $7.9 million rookie contract with the Lakers. At the same time, father LeBron signed a two-year, $104 million contract extension with the club.
The talk in North America right now is whether Bronny James is really an NBA-level player and deserves to be paid millions of dollars.
The 55th choice of last year’s booking event Isaiah Wong signed a one-year, $560,000 contract with the Indiana Pacers.
Wong’s deal was two-way. The contract of Bronny James, booked with the same booking number this summer, is one-way. It means that LeBron James’ son cannot be sent to the G League, known as the NBA’s farm league.
The former captain of the Finnish national basketball team and a follower of events in North America Shawn Huff tells Urheilu that each player is worth the value of the contract he manages to write.
– He could be a good NBA defender in the backcourt, but his ball handling skills are not the best. However, there is potential to become an NBA player.
Bronny spoke at the rookie contract announcement event that he is able to ignore the pressure on him, which is caused by the comparison with his father.
– I’ve already seen comments on the internet that I didn’t deserve this opportunity. I’ve dealt with this kind of stuff all my life, so it’s nothing new. This is obviously bigger, but I can handle it.
Heart attack
Bronny has played one season of college basketball with the USC Trojans before his NBA booking. There, in 25 games, he averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.
Huff says that the younger James was not at his best in the season that ended.
– This is a player who during his high school career was even rated as a first-round selection. The fact that he was not at his best last season may be due to the illness he had and he therefore played a poor season.
A sick attack. Bronny James had a heart attack a year ago in the middle of basketball practice and there was even a risk that he wouldn’t have been able to play anymore. Later, he was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect, which, however, did not prevent him from playing. Bronny was fitted with a heart rate monitoring device.
Business or success?
Huff estimates that the Lakers’ championship dreams are really small at the moment. The question arises, which is more important in the NBA, business or success?
– There are at least ten better teams in the NBA. However, it must be said that the Lakers dominate the media space in the United States. They have bright players and Hollywood stars go to Lakers games. If they can’t compete for the championship, then media space is very important to them, Huff says.
Bronny James is expected to make his NBA Summer League debut, which begins on Saturday, July 6. Finnish coach Petteri Koponen leads the San Antonio Spurs in the same summer league.
Another boy coming to the NBA?
Younger son of LeBron James Bryce James17, will be NBA-eligible in the summer of 2026.
It has been said about the younger brother that he is the bigger promise of the brothers. Bryce James is also 10 centimeters taller than his brother Bronny.
– Bryce is perhaps a higher class talent than Bronny is. He quite possibly has a better pitch at this point, Huff says.
Huff (b. 1984), who is in the same age group as LeBron James, wonders if the younger of the brothers could still be seen playing with his father.
– We have never seen such a good player at that age as LeBron James. There have been signs of fading, but I think he will still be an NBA-level player in two years.
At the age of 39, LeBron James was the 15th best player in the series in terms of scoring average. He scored 25.7 points per game in the regular season.
– Now that he has a two-year contract, it looks like he can do whatever he wants with Bryce James even after that contract, Huff adds.
Bryce is himself commented skeptical about playing on the same team with his father in the future.
– No, that’s too much. No, good God. He would be 42, the younger James has said.