Bronny James Improves, Strikes Back At Critics: ‘People Think I’m A F—ing Robot’

Bronny James, son of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, was drafted to his father’s team with the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and subsequently signed to a four-year contract. And that’s not where the criticism began, but it’s perhaps where it seemed to become open season.

Bronny spent only one-year playing college basketball, half of which he spent recovering from a cardiac arrest caused by a congenital heart defect. In the 25 games he played for the University of Southern California, he averaged just 4.8 points per game. In other words, the question that emerged from his four-year, fully guaranteed deal with the Lakers was a given – why would L.A. hand out a contract like that, if not for his father’s influence?

Much of Bronny’s early tenure, both in the G-League and NBA, has only made these accusations more virulent. Perhaps most notably, following a Jan. 29 Lakers game where Bronny went scoreless, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith went on live television and lambasted him.

“I am pleading with LeBron James as a father: Stop this. We all know that Bronny James is in the NBA because of his dad.”

In the midst of such criticism, though, Bronny has quietly but significantly gained consistency and confidence. After putting up six, four and 16 points on 29% shooting in his first three games with the G-League South Bay Lakers, Bronny has posted 30 points twice and 20 points three times in the ten games since. In the NBA, while he’s still averaging about 1.7 points per game, the team sees improvement as well.

So what’s enabling Bronny to average over 20 points per game in the G-League, which he never did in high school or college?

“I just think it’s a confidence thing,” he said.

Lakers head coach J.J. Redick praised Bronny’s growth as a playmaker, adding that he “has been fantastic in practices” lately. That confidence, both internal and external, enabled Redick to play Bronny for 16 minutes against the Denver Nuggets on March 14, where he made a three-pointer and had a steal.

“It’s great that [Redick] had the level of trust to throw him into a big game the other night at Denver, which is a tough place to play, and he got in the game, made a couple defensive plays, made a corner 3, and I think that’s what he prides himself in is the 3-and-D type of archetype,” said general manager Rob Pelinka. “And for him to be doing it in moments in NBA games, that’s great that he’s even grasped that already.

Bronny credits newfound freedom and “getting reps” with his building confidence, but also mentioned media criticism as a source of motivation.

“My first thought about everything is I always try to just let it go through one ear and out the other, put my head down and come to work and be positive every day,” Bronny said. “But sometimes it just, it fuels me a little bit. I see everything that people are saying, and people think, like, I’m a f—ing robot, like I don’t have any feelings or emotions.

“But I just take that and use it as fuel for me to go out, wake up every day and get to the gym early, get my extra work in, watch my extra film every day, get better every day,” he continued. “That’s what [Pelinka] wants me to do as a young guy, coming in, playing in the G League and learning from far on the bench watching the Lakers play.”

And Bronny has done what the Lakers have asked of him – what it would be reasonable to ask of any young, second-round player at this point in their career. He’s jumped on any chance to improve and learn, and he’s played NBA minutes when the bench has been depleted.

There are no guarantees about Bronny’s future in the NBA, and there’s probably no way he can live up to the media’s warped expectations. What he can do, though, is keep his head down and keep improving. And that’s what he’s done thus far.