Shaquille O'Neal spoke about LeBron and Bronny James on the latest episode of his podcast . He noted that he holds professional jealousy toward LeBron, as he wanted to earn that distinction by playing with his sons Shareef and Shaqir. But he did wish both of them well, even showing Bronny love and claiming that he was like a nephew to him.
"I strive off of professional jealousy. Jealous, a little bit... I take things that make me mad, and instead of hating, I use it to motivate me. My son was in that position. Life is all about titles, I would have loved to have that title first. Now that we got that out of the way, I'm happy for Bronny, he was always at the crib playing with my boys, he's like a nephew to me."
"He's going through a lot, he just needs to continue to have fun and play, and things will work out... I tell my son all the time, you have to create your own path. You have to separate from me..."
"The fact that he's on the Lakers, there's a lot of - 'He got this, he got that'... I'm happy for him. But on a professional jealousy side, I wish that was me and Shareef or me and Shaqir. But I'm happy for Bronny and I'm happy for LeBron, and I wish them well."
Of course, while these comments might read as hostile, it is clear that Shaquille O'Neal is thrilled for LeBron and Bronny, but just wishes he got the opportunity to do the same with his children. Shaq's reaction should show just how prestigious an honor it is for both father and son to play together in the NBA.
Bronny James Under The Limelight
However, while it has been great to see Bronny James get the opportunity in the NBA, there has been a lot of scrutiny that the young man has faced since entering the league. Beginning even before the draft, Bronny James has been placed under a microscope no other second-round draft pick in history could even imagine.
Whether it be his struggles in the Summer League or his poor showings in the Lakers' preseason games so far, Bronny James has been criticized beyond belief for his outings.
Bronny James averaged 8.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists in the Summer League. Whereas in the preseason games, Bronny has averaged 1.0 points, 1.25 rebounds, and 0.25 assists.
His performance against the Suns, where he made mistakes in the closing moments that cost the Lakers the win, garnered him a lot of criticism from fans .
Bronny James is a late second-round pick who didn't play much during his one year in college and is expected to spend most of his time with the Lakers' G-League unit. Despite all these things being well established, the NBA fanbase has decided to hold James to a high standard and scrutinize his every move just based on his last name.
For Bronny James, his focus shouldn't be on the criticism, but on following his coach's instructions, and working on improving his game. JJ Redick has spoken about wanting to see Bronny set defensive goals for himself. While Bronny isn't ready for the NBA yet, he has a strong chance of working on his game and reaching that level.
Related: Bronny James Opens Up About The Day He Suffered His Cardiac Arrest
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