Bronny James' puts 'nepo baby' comments to bed with warning to NBA

Bronny James has expressed his eagerness to go head-to-head with his dad, LeBron , in Los Angeles Lakers practice sessions after hitting his stride in the Summer League .

The young star was snapped up by the Lakers as the 55th pick in the second round from the University of Southern California .

Carrying the weight of his family's legacy, the 19-year-old has faced immense pressure but has recently shown a marked improvement in his NBA Summer League performances following an initial rough patch.

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Despite a shaky start with a 7-for-31 shooting record this summer and a 4-for-19 performance over two games in Las Vegas , James managed to notch up 12 points in Wednesday's narrow 87-86 win against the Atlanta Hawks. He continued his positive trajectory on Thursday night, contributing 13 points to the Lakers' 93-89 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers and hitting 50 percent of his shots.

In addition to his scoring, James pulled down five rebounds, dished out three assists, and blocked two shots in the game against the Cavaliers. As he gears up for his first NBA season, James is keenly anticipating the chance to compete with LeBron, who is currently training with USA Basketball in Las Vegas for the upcoming Paris Olympics.

Amidst suggestions that his place in the league is due to his father's fame, James is focused on proving himself on the court.

When quizzed about what excites him most about playing alongside LeBron, James didn't hesitate: "Going against each other in practice."

James' bright prospects on the basketball court were cast into uncertainty before his inaugural collegiate season following a harrowing cardiac arrest during a team scrimmage last July. Nonetheless, he was given the all-clear to lace up his trainers again; he watched from the sidelines for the opening eight games but then put in 25 shifts for the Trojans, clocking an average of 4.8 points, 2.8 boards, and 2.1 dimes.

Post being picked in the NBA Draft's second phase, James alongside LeBron might just etch history as the premier father-and-son duo balling concurrently in the NBA, donning the same squad's colours. LeBron is convinced his lad has a distinct edge to thrive sans buckling under the high stakes.

"Just imagine if you were a kid, you were born into a situation where your dad was super famous, super wealthy and you the kid still had the drive to want to be able to accomplish things for yourself," voiced the seasoned 39-year-old. "I personally don't know if I would've been able to do that if the roles were reversed."

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"When I was coming up, I had no choice. I literally had no choice... I had to make it out for me. My mom, my family, my hometown, my city."

"Bronny has all the choices in the world. If Bronny wants to stop right now or never played basketball or just wanted to be a gamer or wanted to be a chef or wanted to be nothing to whatever, he could have done that... People don't understand how hard that is and the commitment for him to be coming out of heart surgery less than a year ago, for him to be able to be in the NBA, the kid, he's special."

"But he doesn't care. He doesn't. It doesn't bother him."

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