How Good Is Bronny James Actually? (LeBron James Son)

I was mindlessly scrolling through a bunch of basketball highlights the other day on YouTube and out of nowhere, I saw this. Then when this clip ended, YouTube's autostar kicked in and showed me this next. Then afterwards, this clip showed up next. After watching these, I was seriously like, sheesh. As a longtime follower of the NBA, I remember it was just like yesterday when LeBron was in his prime and Bronny was like, well, just a baby. And while everyone is pretty much hyped about the upcoming draft with Wambunyama, nobody is really talking about the year after because in 2024, the first son of LeBron, Bronny James Jr. is actually going to be drafted. And with the crazy athleticism and dunks like we just saw, the big question lurking in the basketball world is just how good is Bronny James going to be? Though he's not as tall or strong as his father, you'll be surprised at what Bronny can do on the hardwood floor at just 18 years old. Because as people say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Because the truth is, despite standing at just six foot three, Bronny's got some athletic bones in him and he's also extremely explosive for his age, which is pretty shocking. I mean, just take a look at what he does right here on the break. Then take a look at this Ja Morant like two handed block on the backboard. There is no doubt that his athletic genes came from his dad, but a part of why he can pull off stunts like that is because Bronny looked up to Russell Westbrook as he was growing up, and in case you didn't know, it's also why he wears the number zero on the back of his jersey. I mean, it's pretty clear that we see shades of a younger Russ in his game, like his burst of speed whenever he slashes his way to the cuff or the explosiveness of his first step. And in case you were wondering if Bronny also picked up some of the downside of Westbrook's offensive game, like let's say his shooting mechanics, well, rest assured that he's dropped that one because he actually has a sweet shooting stroke that appears to be much more efficient than Russ's. I mean, it looks smooth like butter if you ask me. So anyway, with a shot like that, plus the mad hops that he's got, it appears that Bronny Jr is going to cause some trouble in the NBA because let's face it, it's incredibly hard to contain any player that can massacre you from virtually almost anywhere on the court. Then aside from this, his offensive arsenal is also quite developed at just 18 years old and if you just compare apples with apples, it's clear that his bag is much deeper than LeBron's was when they were the same age. I mean, in catch and shoot scenarios, he can easily knock it down off pinned down screens. He's also got a solid mid-range game along with crisp handles. He can also hit it from deep. And when I say deep, I mean like Steph Curry range. Then also he has that strong upper body, which allows him to finish through contact around the rim. He also plays well off the ball, always looking for backdoor cuts. And lastly, he can also take it coast to coast like a freight train, just like his old man. Based on what I've seen from him so far, it appears that Bronny has little to no flaws when it comes to his offensive game. And although high school is completely different from the NBA, he's also competed and did well internationally. As he continues to climb the ladder, his skills will only need refinements because as you've seen, his fundamentals are quite solid and everything looks smooth about him from an offensive standpoint. Now, to get an NBA's perspective on everything, LeBron once asked Gilbert Arenas, aka Agent Zero, to check up on Bronny to see how his game would fare in the big leagues. And after seeing him play a couple of games, here's Arenas full scouting report on Bronny. So I went there watching his mannerisms, watching his natural raw talent, and I hit him back and I said, you don't have nothing to worry about, right? I said, you know, you guys have the same athleticism. You're probably a little bit taller than he was. Your speed is the same. Your IQ is the same. Your passing is the same. He shoots better. He dribbles better, right? If he gets to 6'8", 6'9", he's you, which means he plays smart basketball. He's not going to try anything flash. He's not going to, you know, look for those hero plays. He's just going to play smart basketball, you know, because he's played the right way. He doesn't really understand what his engine is. So if he really want to score 40 a game, there's no one that's going to stop him from doing it. So like how Arenas summed it up, Bronny's actually even better than LeBron in some aspects. And at just 18 years old, the sky is the limit. He'll definitely improve to become an even more lethal scorer and an even more complete player when he gets to college and eventually when he arrives in the NBA. Now, after breaking down his offensive game, let's switch gears really quick and talk about how Bronny is holding up on the defensive end of the court. Well, though he doesn't have a long wingspan or a wide frame, Bronny makes it up on D using his quickness. And he does have some cat like reflexes, especially when anticipating passes. Basically, you can't let your guard down against Bronny on defense because he loves to play the passing lanes. And after getting the steal, it's pretty much a done deal as he can turn simple defensive plays into instant highlight reels on the other end. Now, even though he's just six foot three right now, Bronny surprisingly can also get up there and he has some pretty good timing when blocking shots. Then when it comes to chase downs, well, Bronny can do it too. Just like you know who. The lack of height doesn't seem to bother Bronny one bit on D as he makes up for it with his energy and tremendous effort on each play. With his incredible skill set on both ends of the floor, Bronny has the potential to become a premier two way combo guard in the future. Then if he gets taller over the next couple of years, by the time he becomes draft eligible, there's no doubt that some of the 30 teams will make room for someone like Bronny, especially if that deal comes with LeBron. Now, moving on here, aside from the stuff that we just talked about, there's also another facet of his game that rarely gets noticed, and that's his exceptional basketball IQ. As I said earlier, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. And that couldn't be more true when it comes to this aspect of his game. Because if you watch him play, it's clear that Bronny is slowly shaping up to be a high basketball IQ player, probably because of LeBron's influence. Players and pundits are constantly saying that LeBron probably has the greatest mind in basketball history. And when you have someone like that in your corner, it's like having a cheat sheet that you can pull out of your pocket at any time. And ultimately, having the same level of IQ that LeBron has can make the game much easier to play. Anyway, since we dragged LeBron into the conversation, he revealed in an interview that he will not stop playing basketball until he gets to play with Bronny. I need to be on the floor with my boy. I gotta be on the floor with Bronny. But I would love to do the whole King Griffey Sr. Jr. thing, that would be ideal for sure. Being with him, spending a full year with him in the same uniform, that would be the icing on the cake. Now, if this really happens, Bronny will basically have no problems in terms of adjusting to the NBA life as LeBron will help him every step of the way. You know, like helping him learn the ropes of an NBA schedule, watching extra film sessions together, or teaching him new moves in practice. Just imagine the type of growth Bronny will have when LeBron imparts all his knowledge about the game, his work ethic, as well as the championship experience and habits. I mean, LeBron has been noted to spend about $2 million a year on his body to keep himself in tip-top NBA shape. And Bronny will have that in everything that comes along with being the son of an all-time great player. That's one heck of an advantage, if you ask me. Anyway, after LeBron dropped those statements, I'm pretty sure all heads will turn to Bronny come draft night, cause we've never seen someone get drafted with LeBron James as a kicker. And with that being said, I'm not taking the spotlight away from the kid, cause in the last couple of months, Bronny has made some significant progress of his own. I mean, from ranking 43rd in ESPN's 100 for the 2023 class, Bronny has now jumped to the 34th spot as of late, and he's also received a bunch of scholarship offers coming from major D1 schools like Kentucky, USC, Michigan, and Memphis. This goes to show you that the younger James is slowly making a name for himself, as well as carving his own legacy, and I have no doubt that if he follows the same path of greatness like his father did, then he'll reach a similar destination. It would be funny, however, if Miami drafts him, because then LeBron could go on live television again and repeat his famous line.