Bronny James’ Preseason Performance Sparks Debate on Influence and Potential

Bronny James, the 20-year-old rookie for the Los Angeles Lakers, continues to capture attention during the NBA preseason. Making his fourth appearance in the league, James scored two points on 1-of-5 shooting in nine minutes against an unnamed opponent at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Tuesday night, drawing mixed reviews regarding his performance on the court.

Despite modest statistics in the preseason, James remains optimistic, stating his main goal is to become “comfortable”. Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s game, he mentioned, “Just going out there and getting reps is the most important thing. Grow my confidence and be more confident while I’m out there playing, because I feel good. The numbers could be better, but I just got to get my confidence up.” The Lakers are scheduled to play against an unnamed team in Arizona on Thursday, with the game set to be televised on TNT.

Notably, the performance of Bronny James, son of NBA superstar LeBron James, has stirred discussions about the expectations placed on young athletes with significant public profiles. Former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas offered an alternative view on James’ preseason results on a recent episode of his podcast “Gil’s Arena”. Arenas emphasized James’ dual role as both a player and an influencer, stating, “Everybody’s judging the basketball game but nobody’s judging him as an influencer. You know, sometimes you’ve gotta look at it a little different. He’s an influencer playing basketball.”

James, picked 55th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, holds considerable influence off the court, boasting 8.1 million followers on Instagram, surpassing renowned NFL champion Patrick Mahomes‘ follower count, which stands at 6.8 million. Arenas pointed to this popularity as a factor shielding James from typical scrutiny faced by other second-round selections. “His influence is really, really huge. He’s going to get chanted everywhere, this is not about his performance on basketball,” Arenas concluded.

James’ preseason statistics show an average of 1.0 point and 1.0 rebound per game while shooting 12.5 percent from the field. Despite the tepid numbers, Arenas highlighted that choosing players in similar draft positions generally come with tempered expectations. “To say the Lakers (are) not serious because they picked him at 55? Let me know who was a better choice at 55 that was going to help the franchise because I’m pretty sure that they were going to be cut just like most of the second round has been cut so far,” Arenas argued.

Comparisons show that James’ preseason performance is aligned with other players chosen near his draft spot, except for Knicks’ Ariel Hukporti, who has demonstrated impressive potential. James’ preseason journey reflects the complex intersection of sports fame and influence, as he evolves into his role in the NBA.