Bronny James won’t be playing road games for the South Bay Lakers in the G League this season and former NFL player Ryan Clark isn’t too pleased about that. On the latest episode of The Pivot Podcast, Clark called out James and urged him to change his attitude and mindset.
“As far as Bronny James not traveling with the team on road games,” Clark said. “And Fred (Taylor) you saying ‘Well, they stay at the Courtyard Marriot.’ What has Bronny James done that he shouldn’t be able to stay at the Courtyard Marriott? You say, ‘Well, they fly commercial.’ What has Bronny James done where he should be ‘too good’ to fly commercial?
“The pros isn’t about where you came from, how you were raised, what your parents had,” Clark stated. “Professional sports is about how well you can contribute. And you don’t get treated differently because of your parents, you get treated differently because of your ability to contribute.
“If I’m Bronny James… I’m begging Rich Paul, I’m begging JJ Redick, I’m begging my father, please let me travel with this team,” Clark continued. “Please let me stay at the Courtyard Marriot. Please let me fly commercial. Please let me go somewhere where I’ma get up more than six shots in three games. To not only prove it to my organization that I’m worthy of being on this team, but to my damn self.
“I have never in my life been the best player on any team,” Clark added. “I wasn’t the best player on my high school team. I wasn’t the best player on my college team. I’m not the best player on this professional team. Or this G League team. Let me go out and prove that.
“Because in the end, all of these accomplishments are gonna be for LeBron James,” Clarke said. “Bronny James is going to have money but he ain’t gonna have the one thing that all of us ever want (which) is prove to ourselves. That’s what I wanted. I wanted to walk off the field and be like, ‘Man, they didn’t draft me and they cut me but look at me now.'”
Bronny James play road games with the Lakers G-League affiliate… But Why? The first headline I read noted,”team flies commercial.” And?
What has Bronny earned? He should be begging his organization, & if need be his father to let him play. He should want to prove himself to his… pic.twitter.com/uKEltNLAuQ
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) November 16, 2024
Clark later added that if this keeps up, then James, who was selected with the 55th pick of the 2024 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, will never get that feeling of having proven himself in his professional career. He wants the 20-year-old to carve his own path and create his own legacy instead of just being a part of his father LeBron James’ legacy.
Clark knows all about what it’s like to be doubted and questioned and about dealing with severe adversity. He went undrafted in the 2002 NFL Draft and worked his tail off to get an opportunity and eventually become a full-time starter in 2006. Then in 2007, he suffered a splenic infarction due to the sickle cell trait and had to have his spleen and gallbladder removed.
Despite all the hardships, Clark ended up having a 13-year career in the NFL during which he made a Pro Bowl and won a Super Bowl. He proved to those who doubted him at various stages of his career that they were wrong and that he well and truly belonged at that level.
Do I expect Clark’s comments to lead to a change in this current G League setup for James? No. It’s unclear who decided Bronny won’t play on the road, but he and the James family clearly don’t have an issue with it. They seem to believe being a part-time G League player is in his best interests.
As for the games he has played in, he hasn’t done all that well in them. James has had a rough start to his G League career, having averaged 5.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks over his first two games.
The South Bay Lakers will take on the San Diego Clippers on the road at Frontwave Arena next on Wednesday at 10 PM ET, but James isn’t expected to be with the team for the trip. He will remain with the Los Angeles Lakers, who are facing the Utah Jazz next at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday at 10:30 PM ET.
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