Bronny James hasn't gotten much love from scouts, and as he struggles in the NBA Summer League, those doubts seem realistic.
However, one person close to James and his father, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, isn't giving up just yet.
In fact, Chris Brickley believes Bronny fits right in with the big boys.
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Bronny James Jr. #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots a free throw against the Sacramento Kings during the second half of the 2024 California Classic Summer League game at Chase Center on July 6, 2024 in San Francisco, California. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Brickley, a celebrity basketball coach and influencer who runs the BlackOps Basketball program, hosted the father-son duo at his gym in the Summit apartment building in Manhattan before the draft. It wasn’t their first interaction; in fact, LeBron has been training with Brickley for several years.
And from what Brickley sees, he's confident James will be okay.
“I think he's an NBA player. I think he's athletic enough. I think he can shoot it pretty well,” Brickley said in a recent interview with Fox News Digital.
“I've seen him practice twice. He shoots as well as most NBA players. He handles the ball the same way NBA players do. His IQ is very good. I think he'll have a long career in the NBA. I really do.”
Brickley says he “understands”[s]”the narrative about his father being very involved in his draft selection, but there's a bigger picture to look at.
Chris Brickley trains with LeBron, Bronny and Bryce James. (Chris Brickley)
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“At the end of the day, he's an NBA player and that's all that matters. We've never seen a father and son on the same team, so there's bound to be criticism, but that's life,” he said.
Brickley also said the 19-year-old's cardiac arrest last summer had a “huge” impact on his growth.
“Imagine going through that and then having to play a season as LeBron's son. It's almost like you have to erase all of that, that first year, those numbers, those stats,” Brickley says (James averaged fewer than five points per game, starting six of 21 games).
Bronny himself believed that was the case, telling the media after being selected that he felt he hadn't been given a “chance” to really show what he could do.
But if there's one thing Bronny is a true pro at, it's dealing with that negative self-talk.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James Jr. (9) reacts after being called for a foul against the Sacramento Kings during the second quarter at Chase Center. (Kelley L. Cox-USA TODAY Sports)
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“I think it's crazy. Every time I turn on my social media, there's someone talking negatively about him, so full credit to Bronny for that,” Brickley said.
James is averaging 5.0 points in summer league play so far.
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