Family dynasties are not unusual in the NBA, and quite a few players have had interchangeable professional basketball careers with their fathers. However, it is almost unheard of for a father and son duo to actively play concurrently, which is one of the conversations Bronny James (Lebron Raymone James Jr.) started when he declared for the 2024 NBA Draft earlier this month.
Passing the baton from one generation to the next is always monumental, and therein lies the reasons people strive to leave legacies behind. Living the kind of life your children aspire to uphold is the recipe on which family dynasties are built. And just about every professional field has quite a few, whether political, legal, corporate, medical, entertainment, or sports.
James Jr. not only declared for the NBA draft as a college freshman, but also chose to remain an active collegiate player and enter the transfer portal in search of greener pastures, options not simultaneously pursued, much less by a college freshman; but what use is a big name if you can’t take big swings with it?
If you’re not a consistent basketball enthusiast you must be thinking, “How iconic that Lebron gets to be in the league at the same time as his son?” and to think that would be an assumption that his exceptional talents have genetically transcended onto his son, which isn’t the case because his journey thus far has been one of untapped potential.
Bronny James was well on his way to stepping into his father’s legacy until he suffered a cardiac arrest in July 2023 during a workout with the USC Trojans, his college team. James Jr. had been on the mend since and was cleared to play at the beginning of December 2023.
Despite his impressive defensive skills on the court, James Jr. has been averaging 4 points per game since his return, which isn’t good enough for the Trojans, let alone a prospective professional NBA player, because the heights of his prowess don’t exceed that of a consequent role player.
The view that he has a long way to go and will get better with time is popular, but the controversy lies within his eligibility to join the league and the red tape he will have to skip through to get in. Especially since his underwhelming college basketball performance is no indication that he can fill his father’s big shoes.
The players who put up the biggest numbers and stand out within their college careers, especially during the infamous March Madness college tournament, have the odds to get drafted in their favor, and by those standards Bronny James is not an outstanding player.
James Jr.’s decision to pursue a professional career early on and remain an active college player is most likely the best way to keep his options open should he go undrafted. All the more reasons why entering the transfer portal with other prospective opportunities is also a great way to cover his bases.
His father, currently the oldest active pro basketball player at 39 in his 21st career year, has been tight-lipped about his retirement, often giving open-ended answers such as “I’m not sure when, but it is not going to be another 21 years.”
The vague responses come across as though he won’t have a definite answer until he shares the court with his son, which James, 39, has openly expressed interest in, despite the latter’s factual ineligibility to enter the 2024 NBA draft.
Despite being a terrible gamble to draft and acquire an athlete who doesn’t have the stature to compete with other professional basketball players, quite a few teams in the league wouldn’t mind taking on James Jr. prematurely on the off chance that Lebron James decides to join
whatever team opens its doors to his son, which one might find quite conflicting.
According to NBA stat analysts, some of the most likely teams to draft Bronny James include the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, and the Los Angeles Lakers, which is Lebron James’ current team.
On one hand, if Bronny James were an undeniably exceptional college player declaring for the draft as a freshman to join Lebron, the foul play could be choked down to a case of nepotism that would ensure they wear the same jerseys, without putting his merit into question.
However, since that is not the occurrence, it’s a classic case of how far the coattail of privilege can take him, which brings his merit into question. Especially because he’d be better suited to make the most of his college career with an active sophomore year that he could hopefully play when he’s healthier. A fact that would raise the odds of the draft in his favor and create genuine interest in what he has to offer, aside from his father’s prominence.
On the other hand, the NBA’s mighty standards have fallen, if recent statistics are any sign, positioning Bronny James to fit right in with the rookies averaging less than 10 points per game as game starters, which has been a common occurrence since the second half of the current season began.
Alternatively, James Jr. could be drafted and join the G-league to harness his skills before he shares the court with basketball maestros for the first time. Taking this route would ensure his spot in the league and give him the time and space to regulate his heart condition and develop his skills and potential to uphold the stature of a remarkable basketball player.
1 Comment
I think Bronny should keep up with school to develop at his own pace because at the moment he’s just a mid player for NBA…he still need a room to learn, so no one wasting a first round pick on him. Being drafted by Lakers & play along with Dad, I would like it just for History😂. For now, he’s just relevant because of his Dad!!!