Bronny James began his NBA career with a game in the summer league. Critics and supporters have poured online, picking apart his four-point performance, but his dad, LeBron James, says Bronny does not care.
“I don’t know if people really understand Bronny,” James said in a Pre Olympics interview with ESPN. “He doesn’t care. I actually care a little bit. When I came in [as a rookie], 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. … He doesn’t give a f—.
“He does not care about nobody. He doesn’t even listen to that stuff. He’s like the coolest. He’s like the complete opposite of his dad. His dad will say something [to address the critics]. Bro does not care. … Everything that’s being said about him, he really does not care.”
He added, “When I was coming up, I had no choice. I literally had no choice. … I had to make it out for me. My mom, my family, my hometown, my city. Bronny has all the choices in the world. If Bronny wants to stop right now or never played basketball or just wanted to be a gamer or wanted to be a chef or wanted to be nothing to whatever, he could have done that. … People don’t understand how hard that is and the commitment for him to be coming out of heart surgery less than a year ago, for him to be able to be in the NBA, the kid, he’s special.”
Bronny James finally made his highly anticipated NBA debut on Saturday, but it was a modest start. We’re being nice and patient but it was modest.
The rookie scored four points during his first Summer League game, where the Los Angeles Lakers were defeated by the Sacramento Kings 108-94 in the California Classic.
Let’s be real. It was his first game. He dropped four and got his ankles crossed. Yes, it was bad, but it was his first game. Let the kid breathe. But the crossover he caught was crazy. Still, he survived.
That still, numbers don’t lie.
James logged 21 minutes on the court, contributing two rebounds, two assists, and a steal.
His shooting was off target. He hit only 2-of-9 from the field, missed all three attempts from beyond the arc, and failed to convert his two free throws.
Get this: his first NBA points came from a layup in the second quarter, followed by a midrange stepback shot.
Although his father, LeBron James, could not attend the game due to his commitments with the Team USA basketball roster, he showed support from afar. LeBron watched a clip of Bronny’s first points and praised his son for being “tough.”
Okay, how cool is that. His father/teammate is showing love while working out for Team USA, getting ready for the Olympics. Wild.
The game saw Kings guard Adonis Arms, who went undrafted in 2022 but has two seasons of G League experience, lead with 32 points and 11 rebounds. Now THAT should be the story. Adonis Arms. He has an NBA name if there ever was one.
Guard Antoine Davis added 20 points off the bench for Sacramento. No big deal, just dropped a light 20.
For the Lakers, forward Blake Hinson scored 17 points off the bench, shooting 5-of-7 from three-point range. Guard Tommy Kuhse added 15 points and 8 assists, while center Colin Castleton contributed 11 points and 10 rebounds. Solid performances from Bronny’s teammates but he’s the focus. His last name is the story.
Last week, ICYMI, Bronny signed a multi-year guaranteed contract with the Lakers, securing a four-year, $7.9 million deal on Wednesday.
The post SOURCE SPORTS: LeBron Says Bronny Does Not Care About Opinions About Him On TV and Online first appeared on The Source.
The post SOURCE SPORTS: LeBron Says Bronny Does Not Care About Opinions About Him On TV and Online appeared first on The Source.
