The player reveals that he has been affected by the pressure of accusations of nepotism for being chosen as LeBron’s son
The season of the Los Angeles Lakers came to a disappointing end in the 1st round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. That means the first year of Bronny James in the NBA is now history.
LeBron James’ son was drafted by the Lakers with the 55th pick in the last Draft. Since then, Bronny has been a target of nepotism accusations, as supposedly he wouldn’t have been chosen to play in the NBA if he wasn’t ‘The King’s’ firstborn.
With his season now over, Bronny has admitted that pressure has taken a toll on him: “I was under a lot of pressure. It ended up affecting me,” he said in words reported by HoopsHype.
Bronny James has had some stellar performances in the G League, but in his first year with the Lakers, he has not managed to secure a regular spot in JJ Redick’s rotation.
After a tumultuous rookie year, Bronny James has finally reacted to his first NBA season now that the Los Angeles Lakers are eliminated from the playoffs. ByDevon Platana|9 hours ago
The Los Angeles Lakers have had a few days to soak in the aftermath of Wednesday’s elimination loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The brief postseason run wasn’t what Lakers fans expected to see this spring, leaving time to tell how head coach JJ Redick and general manager Rob Pelinka will address the team’s glaring issues this offseason.
One Laker who barely saw any playing time this postseason is Bronny James. Last year’s 55th overall pick only logged four minutes of action in two playoff appearances, capping off what was quite a rocky rookie season between his inconsistent on-court performances and the off-court drama that followed him.
Lakers News: Bronny James Admits Pressure Got to Him in Rookie Season
Following the Lakers’ early exit, the younger James spoke to the media about his rookie season. Despite being the son of the greatest basketball player to live, the 20-year-old guard admitted the pressure he faced in Year 1 became overwhelming at times.
“I was under a lot of pressure,” Bronny admitted to FOX Sports‘ Melissa Rohlin on Thursday. “It was getting to me a little bit.”
The pressure being too much for Bronny to handle isn’t surprising.
Few second-round picks are thrust into the spotlight, especially when they aren’t exactly NBA-ready. That pressure was only amplified by the fact that the Akron, OH native happens to be the son of a 21-time NBA All-Star and four-time MVP, which left many wondering if Bronny deserved to be on the Lakers’ roster.
Bronny split the 2024-25 campaign playing with the Lakers and in the G League. He excelled whenever he suited up for South Bay, averaging 21.9 points on .440/.380/.815 splits while also putting up 5.4 assists, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.9 steals across 11 outings.
Unfortunately, similar results didn’t await Bronny in the NBA. The former USC Trojan only put up 2.3 points, 0.8 assists, and 0.7 rebounds per game while shooting 31.3% from the floor and 28.1% from deep in 27 games (6.7 minutes per outing). He did improve as the year progressed, including when he dropped a season-high 17 points against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 20.
Even though the pressure and criticism became overwhelming at times, the Lakers’ rookie plans to learn from his mistakes and keep his head high going forward.
“Working is a distraction from everything… All of the stuff that can help me get better every day,” Bronny said. “So, just going to continue to do that and see where it takes me. It’s going good so far.”
Only time will tell if Bronny can accomplish his goal of proving he belongs in the NBA. As helpful as it is having a future Hall of Famer for a father, it’s going to take more than good genes to stay on the floor and earn respect throughout next season and beyond.