LeBron James has played under a microscope since he was selected first overall in the 2003 NBA Draft out of St. Vincent-St. Mary. With his son, LeBron James Jr., following his footsteps in the NBA, the younger James is beginning to get the same treatment from sports fans and media alike.
Despite being just a teenager, Bronny has been criticized and scrutinized since entering the league as the 55th overall pick. Some have questioned the former USC Trojan's skills and whether he deserves to play at this high level. However, his father is coming to his defense, reminding people of the long journey his eldest son has taken after undergoing heart surgery to treat a congenital heart defect.
Chose to take this path
On July 24, 2023, the sports world got jolted with the news of Bronny suffering a cardiac arrest during practice at USC. He was hospitalized and went through a procedure to treat his ailment. Afterward, he underwent rehab before getting cleared to return to basketball activities. However, LeBron said that James Jr. had free rein to choose any path after that unfortunate incident, and he would have understood. However, the 6'1'' guard stayed true to his dream of making it to the NBA, earning his father's utmost respect and admiration.
"For me, personally, when I was coming up, I had no choice. I literally had no choice. I had to make it out for me, my mom, and my family," "The King" told ESPN's Dave McMenamin.
"Bronnie has all the choices in the world, so it's a whole different scenario. People don't understand how hard it is and the commitment it takes. For him to be coming out of heart surgery less than a year ago and now be able to be in the NBA, this kid is special," LeBron continued.
During the pre-draft process, Bronny never shied away from expressing his dream of hearing his name called on draft night. Although talk was ripe about the potential of playing with his dad, he asserted that wasn't necessarily his goal. Potential, though, soon became a reality, as the Lakers selected James Jr. in the second round. While many praised the development, others criticized the move, saying the selection happened primarily because of LeBron's wishes.
Bronny doesn't care
While some young men could be affected by the criticism, James Jr. wasn't one of them. In fact, the 20-time All-Star shared that all his son does is hoop and go home to play video games.
"I don't know if people really understand Bronny. He doesn't care. I actually cared a little bit when I came in. I wanted people to like me, and some of the things that people were saying about me kind of bothered me early on in my career. I let it get to me," the NBA's all-time leading scorer asserted.
"Bronny doesn't give a f**k. He doesn't. Bronny plays, he works his tail off, and when he's done, he goes home and plays his video game. He does not care about what people say. He doesn't even listen to that stuff," LeBron emphasized.
In a world dominated by social media, it can be easy for young players to get caught up in everything people are saying about them. Fortunately, Bronny has a level head on his shoulders. Despite growing up in the spotlight and having a famous father, he remains unfazed by outside opinions.
Related: JJ Redick refutes claims of nepotism in the L.A. Lakers' selection of Bronny James: "Bronny has earned this through hard work"
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