What do coaches and scouts say about LeBron James Jr.’s future in the NCAA and NBA?
Will LeBron James’ son play with his legendary father in the NBA anytime soon? It’s a no for most coaches and scouts who have seen Bronny James play.
Bronny James is quickly becoming one of the most well-known NBA prospects, and the reasons are obvious.
Since his dad, “the LeBron James”, who’s the current Los Angeles Lakers superstar, announced that he wants to, no matter what, play with his son in his final NBA season, young James has been the center of attention.
While we know LeBron’s contract lines up with when his son can first become draft-eligible, doubts across the league about Bronny’s readiness are getting louder.
Is Bronny James joining the NBA soon?
Bronny is currently a senior at Sierra Canyon High School and a four-star college recruit. The 18-year-old is known to have undeniable talent, and many who watched him play say he would make a solid NBA player.
However a recent report from Dana O’Neil of The Athletic has revealed that “most coaches and scouts” from major conferences schools do not think he is NBA ready just yet.
“No one thinks Bronny is a one-and-done player, nor does his current recruiting ranking project him as one … Most coaches and scouts who spoke to The Athletic say Bronny might not be NBA-ready after two or even three years. He might develop into an NBA player, but the consensus is that it will take time. They say he needs reps against other high-caliber players to succeed, to fail, to adjust, to grow.”
It seems that Bronny may need some time to develop at the college level if he is to become an NBA-ready prospect, but is his 38-year-old legendary father rushing his timeline?
Bronny James: the new Fred VanVleet?
True Hoop’s David Thorpe has also described young James as someone who plays like Fred VanVleet — who went undrafted after his senior year of college.
While it is evident that playing college ball for Bronny is a huge possibility, he also has endless options like potentially joining the NBA’s G League Ignite, Overtime Elite or even playing professionally overseas. He could also choose to train for a year before declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft.
We’ll just have to see what route impressive Bronny takes post high-school as it remains to be seen what path he chooses.