Bronny James’ preseason start has generated a lot of discussions in the NBA. And not exactly because he is doing very well, it is quite the opposite.
The debut of LeBron’s son with the Lakers in the Las Vegas Summer League has been, in general terms, calamitous. In his first four games (he improved in the fifth) he shot 7/31 from the field (22.5%) with 0/15 three-pointers. And the criticizm rained down on him.
The most resounding was that of the last NBA Finals MVP, Jaylen Brown, who went to Las Vegas to watch the Celtics-Lakers game and was caught criticizing Bronny while talking to Kysre Gondrezick, a former WNBA player.
“I don’t think Bronny is a pro,” he said of LeBron’s 6-foot-9, 19-year-old son.
“I’m sure he’ll be on the G League team,” he continued.
“I don’t think so. By name, he’ll be on the Lakers.”
Harsh words that were the talk of the entire NBA, but they have been turned against Brown as it is now uncovered that his Summer League debut with the Celtics in his rookie year (2016) was even worse than Bronny’s.
In fact in his first three games, LeBron’s son has got 6/26 shooting from the field, while Brown in his first three games got a poor 5/26 on his shots.
Bronny James scored four points in his first game, with 2/9 from the field. In his second game, he made three points, with 1/3 shooting, and in his third game, he scored eight points, with 3/14 shooting from the field.
After his first three games, James had scored a total of 15 points, with 6/26 from the field and only one basket from outside the zone.
Brown, meanwhile, scored 16 points in his Summer League debut, on 2/7 shooting from the field and 11/17 free throws. In the second he scored nine points on 3/13 shooting. And in the third he scored only five points, all from the free throw line, on 0/6 shooting from the field.
The Celtics’ Jaylen finished his first three games with 30 points (5/26 from the field and 17/24 free throws). That is more total points than Bronny, with a lot of free throws and with a worse shooting percentage.
But he also played more minutes and was almost always his team’s first offensive option because he was the No. 3 pick in the draft, while Bronny was the 55th. This is a very important nuance that seems to go unnoticed by many, Brown included.
So much so that just a day later, realizing that his criticizm was vox populi, and perhaps reminding him that his start was even worse, he recanted in his statements and was more sympathetic to LeBron’s son:
“It’s a pride to have your son by your side in the NBA. It reflects greatness and longevity. Bronny has all the tools around him to succeed. I look forward to watching his growth,” he wrote on social media in a message that sounded like an apology to LeBron.
