Lakers' Bronny James faces unforgiving spotlight with LeBron safety net gone

LeBron James departing the Los Angeles Lakers to play for the Philadelphia 76ers certainly left an interesting storyline to watch out for in L.A. – his son, Bronny, navigating life in the league without his father. Now, the younger James has a huge opportunity to prove to his naysayers that he is his own person, and that his footing in the league is not a mere nepotism thing.

Be that as it may, this new dynamic also presents a steep challenge for Bronny. With his undeniable safety net in LeBron now gone with the Lakers, he will face an even more unforgiving spotlight with his new ball club. Simply put, his margin for error is close to zero now.

Bronny James faces new challenge with the Lakers after LeBron departure

Bronny did not have a major role with the Lakers over the last couple of seasons, but even in those times where he was deployed on the hardwood, he was never really under the pain of peril with the front office. With LeBron's presence spreadeagled across the organization, there was no way that the team would just drop his son.

Fans and pundits may have always taken an indifferent disposition with Bronny, but the Lakers front office did not share that kind of stance with the younger James.

Things could be wildly different now. The King is already in Philly, and one consequence of Bronny being the only James on the Lakers is that he will now be subject to the same treatment as any other NBA journeyman. The LeBron factor backing him up passively is now out of the picture.

This is definitely going to be a challenge for Bronny James, but this is also a defining time for him. If he can prove that he can be a real contributor for an ambitious team like the Lakers, the rest of the league will treat him much more seriously even without his surname boosting the hoopla around him.