Despite being one of the youngest players in the NBA, Bronny James has already faced heavy scrutiny. He arguably has enough talent to make it to the big league, but many people contend that he was only drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers because of his connection with his superstar father.
Lakers president Jeanie Buss , whom Rich Paul mentioned as the one who made the call to draft Bronny, defended the rookie and the organization's decision to draft him in a recent interview with "Petros and Money."
"Yeah, I mean, again, we have to let the kid have an opportunity to play and prove that he should be in a Laker uniform," Buss said . "And everything that we've seen from him and about him and his work ethic, just some of the things he's had to overcome being the son of a big star."
Praising Bronny's mentality
According to the second-generation NBA executive, the 19-year-old guard has redeeming qualities that make him a good fit for the Lake Show. She exclaimed that he works hard and is dedicated to his craft.
Buss also offered the ultimate compliment by stating that if Los Angeles can have a roster with players who have James' mentality, "the sky is the limit" for the squad.
To be fair to Bronny, he does indeed seem to be hardworking. He has to be because he is following in the footsteps of one of the greatest players ever to pick up the sport.
The University of Southern California should additionally be recognized for overcoming various obstacles on the way to becoming an NBA player, including handling the criticism of being LeBron's son well and fighting back from a health scare that nearly ended his basketball career.
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Lebron Jr. has work to do
Still, the younger James might still be a long way from becoming a rotation player. Not only are several guards ahead of him on the depth chart, but he has also yet to show his real strengths.
He was supposed to bank on his defense to carve out a niche in the league. However, Bronny was quite uneven on that end of the floor in Summer League. Offensively, he was inefficient from long distance, and if he can't knock down outside shots or use his athleticism to break down defenses, minutes might be tough to come by.
Rumor has it that the younger James will spend much of his rookie campaign in the G League, which might not be such a bad idea because it can help with his development.
The good news for Bronny is that he will have plenty of opportunities to prove he belongs in the NBA and is suiting up for a franchise willing to bet on him.
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