Bronny James, the son of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, now has two NBA preseason games under his belt. While he struggled offensively in both contests, he did show some defensive promise, as he blocked three shots in his first such game on Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Perhaps the best thing the younger James has going for him is the fact that, according to multiple reports, he has a healthy and unselfish attitude. Unlike many people in our society who have a very privileged background, he doesn't seem to be self-entitled, cocky or all about himself.
Iman Shumpert, who played with the elder James on the Cleveland Cavaliers several years ago, compared the younger James to another Lakers guard prospect who was massively hyped coming out of a local college — Lonzo Ball.
Like the younger James, Ball went to high school in the Los Angeles area and had a well-known father. Ball played one season at the University of California, Los Angeles, and even though some were skeptical about his chances of becoming a star in the NBA, the Lakers took him with the No. 2 pick in the 2017 draft.
However, he failed to even come close to living up to the hype. Many thought he would be a franchise player and even a future Hall of Famer, but he maxed out as a borderline starting point guard. Frequent injuries eventually derailed his career, and he hasn't played since the 2021-22 season.
But when Ball was healthy, he was a very unselfish player who looked to get his teams to play a fast-break offense and get his teammates involved while making an impact defensively.
The younger James doesn't quite have Ball's playmaking skills or ability to bust out in the open court. But Shumpert feels his struggles so far are all part of the process.
Both members of the James family did get to take part in an extremely rare accomplishment in L.A.'s preseason game against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday. The two were on the court together for a few minutes early in the second quarter, which was undoubtedly a heartwarming moment for plenty of family-oriented fans.
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