LeBron James, Jr. isn't your average nepo-baby in the NBA. In a league with multiple family members sharing space, Bronny is a bit of a conundrum -- he and his dad have made history as the first ever father-son duo to share time active in the league, and on top of that were also able to share a court and jersey by doing so.
It's rare to see an NBA career as a family business, and even then that list consists largely of siblings (your Currys, Antetokounmpos, Lopezes, etc.). Even rarer are the sons who followed in their retired dads' footsteps (the Curry's (again, good lord), Rick Barry's gaggle of Brady Bunch-like shooters, the Thompsons, etc.).
And aside from sitting in that unique company, Bronny's career is somewhat of an enigma. He is easily the highest-profile NBA son to make a push for the league, at least since Marcus Jordan (and we remember how well that went), and is probably the most disappointing thus far on that list, at least relative to how much hype he had since high school. The outcry at LA's taking him was loud, even with the 55th pick, to the point where Woj himself called it out on ESPN's First Take. And to Woj's point, Bronny James isn't unique by any means, and is simply the latest example of the NBA's long history of nepotism (Thanasis Antetokounmpo, anyone?). Many NBA careers were, if not sustained, at least made on the strength of a family name.
But Bronny James just made a leap to cement his career on his on terms
In a recent press conference, Bronny was asked about his primary focus going into Year 2 with the Lakers. And his response should be encouraging to Lakers fans, and absolute anathema to doubters everywhere:
“It’s definitely made me think about being more aggressive on that end of the floor, but I can’t lose that defensive drive that will get me on the floor because there’s gonna be guys that can score 15, 20 a game ... I’m most likely not going to be that guy right now. To get myself on the floor, I’ve got to be a defensive menace."
Look, the game of basketball is predicated on attitude. Basketball is a game of mentality, and you would love to see a killer instinct from your players, especially your best ones. But the thing is, Bronny James isn't one, and likely will never be one. What this quote speaks to is a humility that you'd be right to not expect from a player with such a big name. If you were hoping that Bronny came into the league as a spoiled child that would eventually get his comeuppance, you are sorely mistaken. And much like Yahoo Sports' Ben Plaschke, he's actually been proving that narrative wrong for a while now.
Despite hist name Bronny James is a role player -- albeit a pretty damn good one in the future, if he develops correctly. Before his heart scare at USC, many forget that Bronny's tools had him mocked at the tail end of the lottery, albeit in a weak draft. With the right attitude, he would have his career.
And it seems like he has it. All optics indicate that Bronny James is ready to play a role, rather than coast on his father's successes, a key trait to keeping a career in the NBA. Weirdly enough, Alex Caruso put it best when he guested on an episode of the Young Man and the Three podcast:
"A big reason guys get stuck in the G-League is because they don't realize the position they're trying out for. It's like going to a job interview thinking you're going to be the CFO of the company and they're looking for someone to clean the bathrooms."
He went on to elaborate about how once making the G League, everyone was The Man on their previous squads, and got caught and stalled in thinking that playing that way was the best way to move up to the NBA proper. And if someone knows about transforming and making a career out of being 'the energy guy', it's 2x NBA Champion and All-World Defensive Intangibles Alex Caruso.
Right now, Bronny's identity as a pro-basketball player is his relationship to his father. But if we're taking this interview at face value, he is determined to evolve past that. Plaschke's article goes onto point out that James' Sr. and Jr. had all the opportunity in the world to make a circus out of Bronny's rookie year. Except that they didn't: Bronny's debut didn't get all that much coverage in the moment, he spent time in the G-League, and the biggest news the Lakers had all season ended up being huge on its own.
LeBron James, Jr. will forge his career on his own terms, and it is the best news for him and his NBA career.
And if they get a solid 3-and-D player out of the deal, it's great news for the Lakers too.