Bronny James Gets Truthful Description From Charles Barkley Amid Struggles

The Los Angeles Lakers will battle the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday in one of the more anticipated games of the NBA preseason.

Fierce rivals-turned-good friends LeBron James and Steph Curry could share the court for the first time since leading Team USA to the gold medal in the Paris Olympics.

But aside from the star power, fans are also eager to watch Lakers rookie Bronny James in action once again. The No. 55 overall pick struggled in their first three preseason outings, making just one basket out of 11 attempts.

He missed all his four shots in their 107-102 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, playing just six minutes—his fewest so far.

The 19-year-old guard is facing a lot of pressure for a young guy. NBA legend Charles Barkley pointed out that people should not forget that Bronny James survived a cardiac arrest, adding that it's nice to see the Lakers newcomer continuing to do well.

"I'm glad he's just healthy, and we're all rooting for him because we have so much respect for LeBron," said Barkley on the "Throwbacks" podcast.

The former MVP, however, stressed the harsh reality for Bronny James.

"It's not going to be easy because he has a target on his back because of his last name," added Barkley. "There's going to be a certain amount of petty jealousness from people, like, 'You don't deserve to be in the NBA.'"

He also described Bronny James as an "unfinished product." The athletic guard played just one season at USC before declaring for the NBA draft.

"They (Lakers) have to handle this thing with kid's gloves, literally," said Barkley. "They just can't put him out there.

"But man, it's a great story."

Despite struggling offensively, new Lakers coach JJ Redick has touted Bronny James' ability to impact the other end of the floor. He recorded three blocks in his preseason debut against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

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