Nick Wright isn’t holding back when it comes to defending Bronny James and by extension, LeBron James from what he calls ‘lazy, agenda-driven hate.’ On his show What’s Wright with Nick Wright, the Fox Sports analyst addressed the constant criticism surrounding Bronny’s NBA performance and made it clear that the outrage over the 19-year-old guard’s play says more about the critics than it does about Bronny himself.
“Do I think Bronny is a great player? Obviously not. His field goal percentage is like 20%. I think he’s two for 11. He’s not shooting the ball well. He’s not shooting the ball much. Do I think Bronny is even going to be a rotation guy this year for the Lakers when they’re healthy? No.”
“If we are going to be fair, the last two games, the Lakers, who are super shorthanded, were in a tight game with Miami, played Bronny in crunch time, he played really good defense, and they won.”
“And then yesterday, the Blazers were double-digit favorites. LeBron was out, Luca was out, and Austin Reeves was out. Bronny played 19 minutes, six assists, no turnovers, and the Lakers won again. Whole point is Bronny James has been a slightly above average late second-round pick. And the folks that used him as a cudgel because they hate LeBron should be embarrassed.”
Bronny’s numbers this season don’t leap off the pag, he’s averaging 1.4 points, 2.2 assists, and 1.0 steals in about 13 minutes per game, shooting 2-for-11 from the field and 1-for-4 from three for the entire season. But context matters.
The Lakers have been without several key players, including Marcus Smart and Gabe Vincent, which has given Bronny a chance to log extended minutes early in the year. And while his shooting remains a work in progress, his defensive energy and decision-making have stood out.
In the Lakers’ win over the Heat, Bronny posted two points, two assists, and three steals, earning praise from Luka Doncic for his defensive awareness and composure under pressure. A night later against Portland, he followed up with five points, six assists, and zero turnovers quietly helping control the pace as Los Angeles overcame a double-digit deficit.
For Wright, the bigger issue isn’t Bronny’s play, it’s the obsession with discrediting him because of who his father is. Ever since the Lakers drafted Bronny with the 56th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, critics have accused the franchise of nepotism. Yet as Wright pointed out, late second-round picks almost never make an impact at the NBA level, let alone show the kind of defensive promise Bronny has displayed in limited action.
Bronny has handled the noise with maturity, spending most of last season developing in the G League and earning his spot back on the Lakers roster through work, not entitlement. He even had a breakout 17-point performance last year against the Bucks, a reminder that the potential is there.
As Nick Wright made clear, Bronny James isn’t supposed to be a star right now. He’s a late second-round rookie trying to learn the NBA grind and doing it under a microscope no one else his age faces.
