Press Box: Legitimate or LeNepotism?

Ethan York, Contributing Writer

LeBron James is arguably one of the greatest basketball players in the history of the game. He has multiple impressive feats in the NBA, including winning four championships with three different organizations, winning four NBA MVP awards and holding the highest total point record of all time in NBA history, according to ESPN. 

However, one of his most controversial feats to date is playing on the same team as his son Bronny James.

Bronny James played only one season for the University of Southern California before setting off on his NBA career this year. 

His short career in the NBA has stirred a lot of controversial debates on his legitimacy in the NBA. 

Some people believe he has earned his spot on the court, though some say it is nepotism, according to ESPN.

I believe Bronny James being in the NBA is a perfect example of nepotism. His father is one of the greatest to ever play, but Bronny James’ performance shouldn’t impress anyone. In his college career, he only played 25 games, averaging 4.8 points per game and only 2.1 assists per game, according to Sports Reference.

These stats are hard to impress anyone, especially an NBA recruiter. If Bronny’s last name wasn’t James, would he still even be considered a draft prospect? 

He was still a first-year and had an opportunity to continue to develop himself as a player by staying in college, but he instead jumped into the NBA to play with his father.

I believe it would’ve been more beneficial for him and his credibility as a player to spend more time playing college basketball.

While Bronny James is still highly controversial, you can’t deny it is a great thing to see the first active father-son duo in the NBA, especially from a player like LeBron James. 

Unfortunately, the NBA likes to milk this opportunity. For example, when Bronny James checked into his first game against the Minnesota Timberwolves with LeBron James, the commentators made a big deal about it.

When Bronny James and LeBron James both checked in together for the Lakers’ first game of the season against the Timberwolves it was a historic moment. 

Unfortunately for Bronny James, that was his biggest highlight of the game. He played for three minutes and had one rebound, according to USA Today. 

It seems like Bronny James is just a testament to LeBron James’ legacy. It’s just another achievement to play long enough to be teammates with your son. 

I mean, not many players have created their own teammates. The reality of it, though, is Bronny James is not going to be able to live up to his father.

This isn’t a bad thing for him, many great players won’t be able to compare to LeBron James. Just because he is his son doesn’t mean he has to either. Since Bronny James has chosen this path though, he must capitalize on it, especially since he didn’t earn his spot on the Lakers himself — his name did.

The best thing Bronny James can do now is develop his game and figure out who he is as a player. He’s set to spend some of his time in the Lakers G League affiliate, according to Bleacher Report. This is a crucial moment for him as he needs the experience and some time away from the spotlight. 

While Bronny did make his way to the NBA through nepotism and hasn’t performed in the way an NBA draft pick should, I think he can still develop into a great player, in his own way. 

He needs to form his own career, he is not his dad and will never be. Only time will tell if Bronny James can prove himself in the NBA.