Bronny James faced an unusual amount of pressure and media attention for a second-round pick, and the Los Angeles Lakers rookie admitted that it wore on him a bit.
James, the son of Lakers star LeBron James, joined the team as the No. 55 overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft and was thrust into the spotlight early. James faced attention for every performance in the NBA Summer League and speculation about whether he could become part of the first father-son duo to play together in NBA history.
James admitted that the attention took a toll on his mental health.
"I was under a lot of pressure," James said in an interview with Fox Sports. "It was getting to me a little bit."
James faced accusations that he only landed his spot on the Lakers because of his father, though he was able to quiet much of that criticism after carving out a strong role in the G League. James averaged 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game with the South Bay Lakers, shooting 44% from the field and 38% from behind the 3-point arc.
James was not able to have the same impact at the NBA level, but showed flashes of strong play including a 17-point performance against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick said he believes James will only continue to improve.
"With his physical tools and just his burst and his handle, we think he's going to be an above-average to really good NBA shooter," Redick told Fox Sports. "He's gonna have a chance to really make an impact."
James said his plan for the next year is to keep his head down and keep working, blocking out the attention and criticism.
"Working is a distraction from everything," he told Fox Sports. "I love just coming into the gym and working and talking to my coaches and watching film. All of the stuff that can help me get better every day. It's a distraction from all of that stuff. So, just going to continue to do that and see where it takes me. It's going good so far."
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