Bronny James Admits ‘It’s Tough’ Following In Father’s Footsteps

Bronny James admits to the toughness of being the son of LeBron James and playing basketball

Bronny James responded to a question about playing a sport while being the son of a great player like his father, LeBron James, admitting that “It’s tough.”

During a recent interview with SiriusXM NBA Radio, Bronny spoke about the reality of having to deal with the pressure of following in the footsteps of LeBron, who some place in the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time) conversation. The interview took place at the NBA Draft Combine, where the 19-year-old is working out to showcase his skills in front of NBA scouts. Although he had a troublesome freshman season at USC (University of Southern California), he entered his name into the NBA Draft, which will take place June 26-27.

Bronny was asked about why he decided to try his luck in this year’s NBA Draft. He referenced his mother’s teaching in making the determination to throw his hat into the ring.

“I always want to end up where I am happy the most. My mom has always told me to take me where my heart wants me to be. I just found happiness in what I am doing right now.”

With not only having his father’s name (Bronny is a nickname for LeBron Jr.) and legacy to contend with as he embarks on his own journey into the basketball world, he admitted that he gets a lot of criticism, probably due to him being his father’s son.

“It’s tough. A lot of criticism gets thrown my way, but you know I got to deal with it,” he states.

Reporter: “What is it like to play the game of basketball when your father [LeBron James] is one of the all- time greats?”

Bronny: “It’s tough. A lot of criticism gets thrown my way, but you know I got to deal with it.”

(via @SiriusXMNBA)pic.twitter.com/nERUOvH0CK

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 21, 2024

After only playing one season at USC, where he averaged only 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while playing 19.4 minutes per game, Bronny declared for the NBA draft in April. Due to the freshman suffering a cardiac arrest on July 24, 2023, he had to be cleared by three NBA physicians before being allowed to participate in the NBA Draft Combine.