Colin Cowherd did not hold back on his criticism of the Los Angeles Lakers’ decision to promote Bronny James to the NBA roster, calling it an example of how the league operates differently than other professional sports. On The Herd, Cowherd blasted the NBA’s tendency to pander to star players, particularly LeBron James, and argued that Bronny is simply not an NBA player right now.
“So there’s an old saying in pro sports: you can’t fool the players. Okay, you can’t fool the pro athletes. They know the stars, they know the soft spots, they know the weaknesses.”
“So last night, AD got hurt, the Lakers went into the tank, and got blown out by Philadelphia. Well, the Lakers had recently called up Bronny. Well, Bronny had his best game as a G-Leaguer. So of course, let’s rush him to the Lakers. So he got on the floor last night.”
“You can’t fool the players. Tyrese Maxey went right after him and cooked him. And it’s just amazing. In the NFL—media, coaches, fans—anybody, you can have real grown-up conversations. You can hold players accountable. There’s no walking on eggshells. There’s a way to measure success.”
“In the NBA, you have to pretend that Bronny’s an NBA player because otherwise, you’ll upset the King. So he has a good G League game. Guys go off in the G League all the time; it doesn’t mean anything. And they get into the Lakers, and they want to play him.”
“And remember, he is a 6’2″ guard. That’s a non-point guard. I’ve never seen that exist in the current NBA. And go back twenty years—to be a two-guard, 6’4.5″ minimum. You’ve got to be able to shoot some, be a playmaker some. He’s 6’2″, got cooked on defense, and has not scored in 38 minutes on the floor. 38 minutes as a pro is the last time he got a basket.”
“You did not put him in a tough spot. He is 1-for-16 in the NBA from the floor, 0-for-7 on threes, can’t be a point guard, and got cooked defensively. Let’s just be totally honest about this.”
“He’s a 6’2″ guard that can’t shoot in a league where 7’4″ guys can. He’s not an NBA player. He was not a great high school player. He was a good high school player. He wasn’t a good college player. He was a college player. And he’s not an NBA player.”
“And he may be a great kid. I’m sure he is. LeBron’s a nice guy. I’ve met him. But this is what gets me. Fifty-seven million people watched the NFL this weekend. It’s tough men, emotionally and physically, that you can have real conversations with. Can we stop pretending on this? Come on, let’s just stop pretending.”
“This was not a tough spot. Tyrese Maxey—he’s a great player—and cooked him. And you rushed him up because, hey, he had a good G League game. Oh God. This is what the Clippers have done with Kawhi Leonard. It’s been years of pandering. Embiid in Philadelphia. The babysitting in New Orleans with Zion.”
“In the NBA, they had to ban phones from players during games. They were using them at halftime, timeouts. They had to ban players from using phones during games.”
“You don’t have to do that with grownups. They understand they’re at work. They’re going to work hard. And I think one of the many reasons the NFL has separated from the NBA is the NFL is a serious league. The games matter. It’s adults. It’s men. It’s real conversation.”
“Like, there’s no pandering. We’re not going to see Jalen Hurts’ son, you know, wedged into the Eagles to play running back. No, it’s Saquon Barkley. He’s better than anybody. And I think this goes back to some of the issues the NBA has.”
“Not a single NBA reporter would even touch this with a 10-foot pole. I mean, this thing—what are we doing here? Nice kid, maybe a G League player, but 38 minutes on the floor, hasn’t scored a basket. He’s a 6’2″, non-ball-handling guard. What are we doing? What are we pretending?”
“Grown-up conversations. Don’t be terrified. Walk on eggshells. I’ve seen it time and time again. Last night, he came in—three turnovers, 0-for-5, looked terrified, nervous. And the Sixers—you can’t fool players—went right after him. You can’t fool players. When the red light comes on, you know who can do it and who can’t.”
“This continues to be an unserious story. What you don’t want to become is an unserious league. The NFL—you take it seriously because they take it seriously. They don’t have to ban phones from their players.”
Cowherd pointed out that the Lakers rushed Bronny back to the main roster after one solid G League performance, something that doesn’t happen in the NFL or other professional leagues where meritocracy is valued more.
The numbers back up Cowherd’s harsh assessment. Bronny has played 38 minutes in the NBA without scoring a single field goal in his last stretch of appearances. Overall, he is shooting a horrific 6.3% from the field, going 1-for-16 on the season while missing all seven of his three-point attempts.
Cowherd also highlighted how Tyrese Maxey immediately exposed Bronny when he got on the floor. Maxey relentlessly attacked him, exposing his defensive weaknesses, which further emphasized that Bronny is not yet ready for this level of competition. Cowherd’s frustration extended beyond just Bronny, though.
He criticized the way the NBA handles certain star players, comparing the Bronny situation to the Clippers’ handling of Kawhi Leonard, the Philadelphia 76ers’ treatment of Joel Embiid, and the New Orleans Pelicans’ management of Zion Williamson.
Stephen A. Smith also went in on Bronny James just a day earlier, echoing similar concerns about how the Lakers were setting him up for unnecessary criticism by putting him in an NBA game before he was ready.
Smith emphasized that the media, players, and coaches all know Bronny isn’t NBA material at this moment, yet no one wants to say it because of LeBron’s presence. He stressed that Bronny’s development should happen in the G League, where he has actually shown flashes of potential.
And that’s the key—Bronny James is not a lost cause, but his best path forward is more time in the G League rather than forcing his way into NBA minutes before he’s ready. In three recent G League games, Bronny averaged 23.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists, shooting 43.4% from the field and an impressive 45.8% from three.
That suggests he is progressing in a more controlled environment where he can develop his confidence and skill set without the pressure of NBA-level competition.
The reality is that LeBron’s son is being unfairly thrown into the deep end, and it’s hurting both his confidence and his reputation.
If Bronny were just another young player without the last name “James,” he would still be in the G League, improving his game, and waiting for his chance. That’s what should be happening, and ultimately, if the Lakers truly care about his development, they will send him back down until he is ready to contribute at the NBA level.
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