After lackluster play, Bronny James, the son of future NBA legend LeBron James, was assigned to the G League to help develop his game. But the move comes with a controversial wrinkle: reportedly, the rookie will only play home games for the South Bay Lakers, an unprecedented move that some argue will stifle his development.
According to The New York Post, ESPN writer Brian Windhorst explained the situation on The Hoop Collective.
“I’m gonna apply the brakes on my ‘everything is fine on the Bronny front’ with this thing that is now happening, which is that from my understanding, he’s only gonna play in the South Bay Lakers home games, that he’s only gonna kind of be a part-time G League player, and he’s not getting on United Airlines and going to fly and go see these other teams, play in these road games,” Windhorst said.
Basketball analysts, fans, and even former basketball players have been giving their opinions about Bronny’s star treatment since his underwhelming college career—he averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game at USC before declaring for the NBA Draft—and uninspired Summer League play. The Lakers chose Bronny in the second round of the draft.
“Honestly, I know he was getting somewhat special treatment and nepotism, that’s fine,” Windhorst added. “I don’t care. It’s normal. Now, I think it’s actually detrimental to him. I don’t like that. I don’t know whose idea it was. The Lakers are fine with it; they’re doing it.
“On this particular instance, I think that’s gone too far, and I don’t think that benefits Bronny, I don’t think it benefits the South Bay Lakers, and I don’t think it benefits LeBron at that point.”
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