Bronny James will begin his professional career as the first NBA player to team with his father. The rookie addressed the unusual situation of sharing a last name and team with a legend.
The Los Angeles Lakers introduced James and first-round pick Dalton Knecht in a Tuesday press conference. Bronny was asked about the added pressure of playing alongside his dad, LeBron James.
“For sure, an amplified amount of pressure,” Bronny responded, via CBS Sports. “I’ve already seen it [in the] media and [on the] internet talking about how I might not deserve an opportunity, but I’ve been dealing with stuff like this for my whole life. So it’s nothing different. It’s amplified for sure, but I’ll get through it.”
Although a cardiac arrest delayed the start of his freshman season, Bronny declared for the NBA Draft after one year at USC. The 19-year-old said he wasn’t motivated to go pro in hopes of teaming with his father.
“I just want to come in and get my work in and get better every day,” Bronny said. “But I never really had a thought of me going to play with my dad.”
Bronny averaged 19.4 minutes in 25 games for the Trojans. He acknowledged that the health setback hindered his progression, but he’s eager to take advantage of the Lakers’ development system.
“The time that I had off, I feel like I could have been perfecting my game more,” he told reporters. “I just feel like I’ve been given an opportunity to showcase what I can really do because I wasn’t given that much of an opportunity at SC. I’m excited.”
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