Bronny James is set to make his debut in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2024-25 NBA season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, there are some pundits, like Charles Barkley, who believes the 20-year-old is not quite ready for what comes with being an NBA player.
Bronny and his father LeBron made NBA history during the preseason by being the first father-son duo to play in the same game. That said, a lot has been made of how the younger James has played during the preseason, with many on social media noting how the youngster’s play let much to be desired.
Speaking to his “Inside the NBA” cohosts, Barkley explained to Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal that he believes Bronny will play against the Timberwolves because of the implication it would have, rather than his ability. As Barkley explained his stance, O’Neal remained quiet as his cohost shared his point.
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“So Bronny is getting in the game tonight,” Barkley asserted. “That’s a Nike commercial waiting to happen. Ken Griffey isn’t flying from Florida to LA not to see Bronny play.
“But I will say this: Bronny’s a prospect. Number one I’m glad he’s healthy. I think he should be in the G-League. He’s not ready to play in the NBA right now and he should be in the G-League because he’s not ready to play in the NBA first and foremost. And secondly, there’s going to be some guys coming for his head and he’s not ready because he’s really a tweener.
“He’s a point guard, two guard. His, probably, best attribute right now has been a defender. But I think to take the pressure off him and let him get better as a player, he should be in the G-League.”
Bronny James, while talented, has many pundits believing he needs more time to develop (
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Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
In six preseason games, Bronny averaged 4.2 points per game, shooting 24.3 percent from the field, converting one of his 12 3-point attempts. He also added 1.5 rebounds and turned the ball over 1.2 times per game in very limited minutes.
Even with how historic it would be to play with his son, LeBron is not rushing the process. Instead, he wants the minutes he plays with his son to come naturally, rather than rookie head coach JJ Redick forcing the issue to make history or to make the game more memorable.
“Whenever it happens, it will happen,” LeBron told reporters during Lakers shootaround Tuesday, per ESPN. “If it’s tonight or if it’s down the line, whenever it happens, it will happen. But it’s been a treat, and just in preseason, the practices, just every day … just bringing him up to speed of what this professional life is all about and how to prepare every day as a professional.”
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LeBron also reflected on the journey Bronny has gone through to make it to the NBA. In July 2023, the younger James suffered a cardiac arrest while working out with USC, putting a hold on his basketball career as the James family waited for updates on his health.
“[It was] not too long ago that the scare happened,” the NBA legend said of his son’s heart scare. “And when he’s able to grace an NBA floor, if that’s tonight or whenever the case may be, it’ll be another one of those moments just to know the adversity that he went through.
“I’ve had a couple of family members that have had heart surgeries. Some of them older, some of them younger. And to know how long it kind of takes to get back to yourself, to see him be able to play in a college Division I game the same year that he had heart surgery was, like, a ‘wow’ moment. And I knew that at that moment that there really was going to be nothing to stop him from getting to this — to anything that he wants to do. And he wanted to continue to play basketball.”
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