LeBron James caused a stir on social media recently when he posted several tweets defending his son Bronny amid changing 2024 NBA mock draft projections. Bronny James, a freshman at USC, has seen his draft stock fluctuate this season after returning from a summer health scare.
Bronny James’ Freshman Season at USC
Bronny James, son of four-time NBA champion LeBron James, joined the USC Trojans this season as one of the highest-profile college basketball recruits in years. However, his freshman campaign got off to a delayed start after Bronny suffered a cardiac arrest during a team workout in July.
After undergoing testing and being cleared by doctors in November, Bronny finally made his college debut in December.
In 19 games for the Trojans so far, he’s averaged 5.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting just 37.1% from the field and 27.5% from three-point range.
While Bronny‘s numbers aren’t eye-popping, he’s drawn praise for his court vision, defense, and high basketball IQ.
However, his shooting struggles and lack of elite burst have led to questions about his NBA upside.
Mock Drafts Drop Bronny’s Stock
After initially projecting Bronny as a potential lottery pick in 2024, ESPN dropped him from their latest mock draft entirely.
They now have him slated as a second-round pick in 2025 after what would be his sophomore season at USC.
Bleacher Report also left Bronny out of their recent 2024 two-round mock draft. While most agree that his summer health issues should be factored in, Bronny‘s early struggles have lowered expectations about the 19-year-old’s draft stock.
LeBron James Claps Back on Twitter
After news broke that Bronny was left out of ESPN and Bleacher Report‘s mock drafts, LeBron took to Twitter to vent his frustration. In a post that has since been deleted, he wrote:
“Can y’all please just let the kid be a kid and enjoy college basketball. The work and results will ultimately do the talking no matter what he decides to do. If you don’t know, he doesn’t care what a mock draft says, he just WORKS! Earned Not Given!”
In a follow-up tweet, also deleted, LeBron doubled down on telling prospects to ignore draft projections:
“And to all the other kids out there striving to be great just keep your head down, blinders on and keep grinding. These Mock Drafts don’t matter one bit! I promise you! Only the WORK MATTERS!! Let’s talk REAL BASKETBALL PEOPLE!”
What’s Next for Bronny James?
Despite LeBron‘s harsh criticism of the media’s draft analysis, the scrutiny is unlikely to stop anytime soon. As the son of an all-time great playing under the bright lights at a high-profile program like USC, Bronny will continue to garner national attention.
For Bronny, the key will be showing improvement over the remainder of the college season to regain his standing in the 2024 draft class. Even with his father’s extraordinary genetics, consistent effort and on-court development will be what determines Bronny‘s ultimate draft position.
If Bronny‘s play elevates over the coming months, he could potentially revive his one-and-done prospects. But given the depth of next year’s draft class, staying at USC for a sophomore campaign might give Bronny more room to hone his game at the college level.
LeBron Still Chasing Father-Son NBA Dream
While Bronny works to boost his draft stock, the dream of one day playing on the same NBA team alongside his legendary father remains alive.
LeBron, 38, has openly talked about his desire to team up with Bronny before his career comes to an end.
“I need to be on the floor with my boy. I got to be on the floor with Bronny…Either in the same uniform or a matchup against him,” LeBron said in a recent interview.
With LeBron under contract for at least one more season after this one, the timeline matches up for a potential father-son debut sometime in 2024-25. But with Bronny needing to rediscover his footing first at the college level, that sought-after moment could take a bit longer to materialize.
Still, after 21 seasons and four titles etched in the history books, who would doubt LeBron eventually getting his wish granted?
Key Takeaways
- Bronny James has struggled to match expectations during his freshman season at USC after dealing with summer health issues.
- Recent 2024 mock drafts have dropped Bronny‘s stock, projecting him as a second-round pick in 2025.
- An upset LeBron James took to Twitter to tell analysts to ignore mock drafts and let Bronny develop in college.
- Regaining his shooting form could help Bronny revive his one-and-done hopes and impress NBA scouts.
- LeBron still wants to achieve his dream of playing on the same NBA team as his son Bronny.
Sources:
www.cbssports.com/nba/news/lebron-james-chastises-media-over-bronny-james-mock-draft-reports-let-the-kid-be-a-kid/
www.nbclosangeles.com/news/sports/nba/lebron-james-nba-mock-draft-bronny-james/3348647/
bleacherreport.com/articles/10109207-why-bronny-james-didnt-make-our-last-mock-draft-and-how-that-can-change
