Bronny James’ NBA Combine shooting performance makes draft selection more viable

Much has been of USC guard and son of NBA legend LeBron James, Bronny James, shockingly deciding to keep his name in the draft pool as a prospect who gained minimal buzz from his lone season of college basketball and someone who many believe is mainly garnering interest because of his familial ties to the league's all-time scoring leader.

However, [Bronny] James has given his best effort to change that narrative in the early stages of the 2024 scouting combine in Chicago, where he put on a clinic with his shooting performance.

Bronny James’ NBA Combine shooting performance makes draft selection more viable

James went 19-of-25 during the 3-point star shooting drill on Monday, the second-best showing of the evening, per NBA Draft analyst Jonathan Givony of ESPN. In an exercise meant to test for accuracy but also conditioning/stamina and the ability to shoot while on the move, he looked cool, calm and collected, putting his smooth-stroking jumper on full display.

It was a spectacular day at the office for James, who also logged impressive measurables despite his lack of height (6-foot-1.25 without shoes). He posted a 6-foot-7.25 wingspan and a 40.5-inch max vertical, the latter of which was the fourth-highest of any participant. 

We have seen players with similar height/wingspan profiles to James turn out to be successful NBA players who can hold their own on both ends of the floor, like Immanuel Quickley, Deuce McBride, Gary Payton II, Terry Rozier, Collin Sexton, Jevon Carter, Davion Mitchell and All-Star combo guard Donovan Mitchell (although he possesses slightly more length than the rest). So, we have a large enough sample size here to suggest he could carve out a role for himself at the pro level.

The knocks on James have been his three-point shooting woes (he made 26.7 percent of his long-distance attempts at USC) and his size, two concerns which he alleviated with flying colors through the early stages of the combine, making it easier for the doubters to stomach the idea of him getting drafted.