Bronny James (19), who joined the Los Angeles Lakers, the most prestigious professional basketball team in the U.S., said he can overcome the controversy over his father’s chance. Bronny is the eldest son of LeBron James (39), an NBA superstar.
“I’ve already heard on the (social) media and the Internet that I don’t deserve the opportunity,” Bronny said at a news conference held at the Los Angeles Lakers Training Complex in El Segundo, California on Thursday (Korea time). “I’ve been through these things my whole life. Nothing has changed (since joining the club),” he said. “I’ve definitely felt more pressure but I can overcome it.” Bronny and Lakers first-round pick Dalton Kernkert (23) were officially introduced on the day.
Borni was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers as the 55th pick in the second round of the NBA’s rookie draft, which took place last week. LeBron, his father who spent six seasons with the Lakers, is a free agent but is highly likely to renew his contract with the Lakers as he refuses the option of 51.4 million U.S. dollars. If he renews his contract, he will have a history of father and son playing in the same team for the first time in NBA history. During his press conference, his father LeBron watched him from behind the gym with his arms crossed.
Bronny explained that his goal wasn’t to play in the league with his father. “I want to make a name for myself,” Bronny said. “I want to be on the team, do my job, and get better every day.” Bronny recently read on social media that the Lakers were trying to nominate him out of cronyism to catch his father LeBron, but he also knew that he couldn’t decide which team to be drafted into.
He suffered a heart attack during a game in July 2023 when he was a college student and was sidelined for a while. “I was able to make my game more perfect during the break,” Bronny said. “I didn’t get many opportunities in college, so I have a chance to show more in the future.” He played 19.2 minutes per game while playing for the University of Southern California (USC). He averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. 슬롯사이트 순위
“Bronny came here thanks to hard work. We prioritize player development and consider him the first demonstration case of our player development program,” Lakers coach JJ Redic said, expressing caution against rumors of a LeBron halo around him. With his No. 9 jersey number, Bronny is on the list of players for the summer league that starts from July 7. Bronny’s debut game with the Lakers is just around the corner.