Opening thoughts
Living in the shadows of a basketball icon can be a heavy burden for many young talents. Trying to eclipse or equal the achievements of a star player can be too much to bear. However, Bronny James appears to be an exception to this rule. Since he’s grown up in the media age, with a parent who is one of the most notable names in global sport, Bronny hasn’t known anything other than the spotlight.
His father, LeBron, has achieved every accolade under the sun, and he isn’t just considered one of the greatest players of his generation, but one of the greatest to ever play in the NBA – period. LeBron’s accolades include a double Olympic gold, the all-time highest points scorer in NBA history, and the only basketball player other than Michael Jordan to become a billionaire.
Another fellow great of the modern era, Steph Curry, is a second-generation NBA player, too – completely surpassing his father’s achievements in the NBA. While Bronny will have a much more challenging task to accomplish the same feat, Steph has shown that not all second-generation NBA players have to live in their dad’s shadow.
Father and son combinations in the NBA
Bronny and LeBron wouldn’t be the first father and son combination to play in the NBA. Sportsbooks are eyeing up the odds for the likelihood of this happening, and these odds will have been bolstered by Bronny’s recent announcement to put himself forward for draft eligibility. If LeBron holds off his retirement for another year or two, and Bronny gets drafted, it’d be the first point in NBA history where a father and son play in the league simultaneously.
LeBron has made no secret of his desire to be on the court with his son before he retires. This dream has come a step closer now that Bronny has announced his eligibility for this year’s draft. While he also chose to maintain his college eligibility, you’d think he’d be drafted to the big leagues if available, purely for the marketing value alone.
Navigating the NBA draft
While the draft isn’t always a guaranteed way of knowing which young stars will light up the NBA in the future, it’s a strong indicator of a player’s talent. More often than not, it is an active measurement of their skillset and potential. LeBron James was a phenomenon at college level and was drafted as the first pick in 2003.
Despite being ranked so highly in his college years, nobody predicted that LeBron would become the first player to score 40,000 points. However, the talent and leadership he was already showing at this level made him a guaranteed number-one draft pick. This is the bar that Bronny will have to aim for; the NBA draft is the pinnacle, and many other sons of legends have failed at this hurdle.
Is it a make-or-break year for Bronny?
Well, we wouldn’t go that far. He is still only 19, and given that he’s a four-star recruit, the future looks promising for Bronny. It is doubtful he will reach the dizzying heights of his father – 99.9% of players in the NBA will not reach this benchmark, and it is an unfair comparison – even if he does possess the same genes. He’s displayed excellent basketball IQ and technical prowess, and looking at his stats alone, he appears to be ready for the leap.
The heart defect that was uncovered last summer was a scary blow for Bronny and his family. An underlying heart condition caused him to collapse during a training session, and resulted in many downgrading him as a prospect. Dealing with such a serious congenital health problem will undoubtedly create issues moving forward, since it can hamper training and create other setbacks.
Conclusion
If you weigh up all of the factors, Bronny James seems ready to enter the NBA draft. Physically, he has the tools, IQ and natural skills to progress in the NBA. He also has an excellent team guiding him, and you’d think that LeBron wouldn’t have advised him to put himself forward for eligibility if he didn’t think his son has what it takes.
The primary issue for Bronny is his health – and while players have played with heart and other health issues before, it has taken the wind out of his sails, with many basketball journalists and fans revising their opinion over whether he will make it to the pinnacle of the sport.
As we know, basketball journalists and fans can be fickle, and it can be a brutal, cruel sport for those players who narrowly miss out on landing those big-money contracts. If Bronny can continue improving the way he has, showcasing the mature head he has on his shoulders, he’ll be ready to enter the 2024 NBA draft, and it’ll be intriguing to see how it plays out.