It was previously leaked that Lakers rookie Bronny James was disrupting his team’s chemistry in the Summer League this year over perceived “preferential treatment” from the league and the Lakers specifically. But in a chat with Lakers Nation, young swingman Blake Hinson denied that there were any problems with Bronny.
“No,” Hinson said. “Where is that (report) at? Honestly, you know how it is. Stuff like that doesn’t really shock me. But we need to figure out if that’s even true because to be totally honest with you, as far as his treatment, he was just a normal guy. He just played basketball, he really stays out of the way. He’s a cool dude. I don’t really understand how something like that came out. So that’s nonsense to me… Cool dude off the court, cool dude on the court. I don’t really understand that nonsense that you just informed me about. That’s not accurate, it shouldn’t be accurate.”
Bronny had a pretty mixed Summer League performance. After going 0-15 from three in the first few games, he eventually found his footing and started to make plays down the stretch that proved his NBA potential.
This week, reports surfaced that Bronny became a problem for the Lakers because of his connection and genetic ties to LeBron James. In a lot of people’s eyes, James has yet to prove himself as a legitimate NBA-level player and the only reason that he got selected when he did is because of his dad’s influence on the Lakers.
It’s true that James had a hand in the drafting of Bronny and his presence likely played a role in the Lakers giving him a four-year, $7.9 million guaranteed contract right out of the gate.
But the idea that Bronny’s path to the league is at a detriment to his teammates has officially been debunked. In fact, anyone who has played with Bronny has had nothing but good things to say about his character, his work ethic, and his humility.
At USC, Bronny never complained about the situation and always played within the flow of the game. In his time with the Lakers, he’s been nothing but humble about his talents and he’s willing to play whatever role is needed to help the Lakers win games.
So even though Bronny has struggled with his shot, he’s showing enough as a leader, playmaker, and defender to justify the Lakers picking him up at 55. He has the support of the entire Lakers organization, from the front office down to his Summer League teammates.
It remains to be seen how long James Jr. will spend in the Summer League and when he might link up with his dad in the pros but he’s open to a long process and is in no rush to skip steps in his development process.
Bronny wants to do things the right way and earn his spot on the Lakers as opposed to leaning on the advantages that his last name provides. Naturally, it will take a while for him to reach his maximum potential but with enough time and work, he can prove all the doubters wrong and cement himself as a permanent part of the league.
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