If there’s one thing that Lakers star forward LeBron James has been consistent about, it’s that his son, Bronny, has earned his place in the NBA.
Despite the name on the back of his jersey and the power that comes with it, LeBron has expressed nothing but pride in how Bronny has carried himself since entering the league. And yet, according to NBA analyst/commentator Skip Bayless, Bronny wouldn’t even be in the league were it not for dad’s success.
“I don’t. Even though he’s had some explosions that surprised me pleasantly in G League games, I still haven’t seen enough from him on the pro level,” said Skip on Bronny. “I’m a big fan of Bronny as a human. You wannt talk about pressure? You’re named Lebron James Jr., and you have to grow up with that, and he seems completely level-headed, even-keeled, doesn’t take himself seriously enough. He didn’t get his father’s height… he’s 6’2″, might be 6’3” inches. I was hoping that in his rookie year, he would get 10-12 minutes per game.
Bronny, 21, had modest expectations coming into the NBA. While he grew up learning from the best, he did not inherit the same strength or physical frame. At 6’2″, Bronny is considerably shorter than his dad, and he’s not nearly as athletic. Still, Bayless thought he could establish a more consistent role off the bench as a playmaking point guard.
“He seemed perfect in the fit of three and D beside his father, where he could just play defense and shoot threes,” added Bayless. “And yet, in his early stints in the G-League, one thing he couldn’t do was shoot threes. He was a horrible three-point shooter, and now he’s started to make them more and more. But he’s been timid in games, and I guess that’s where you’re LeBron James Jr. But, too many times, he just runs to the corner and stands in the corner. I want him to be dynamic. He hasn’t played with the aggression that I thought he was worthy of playing with.”
In all fairness to Bronny, nobody can live up to his old man. In over two decades of NBA action, LeBron’s resume is stacked, with four championships, four MVPs, 22 All-Star appearances, and 21 All-NBA selections. In 2025-26, at 41 years old, he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game in an impressive showing of his longevity.
Bronny, meanwhile, is only in his second season. After splitting the past two years between the NBA and G-League, he’s only got 69 games under his belt, and practically no playoff experience. This season, in a larger role, he has shown improvement, averaging 2.9 points, 0.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.1 blocks per game on 40.9% shooting and 38.6% from three.
Between a ceaseless media spotlight and a cardiac arrest in his college tenure, the road hasn’t always been easy for Bronny, and confidence has been in short supply as he has worked to develop his skills. Nevertheless (thanks to help from his dad and teammates), he’s starting to find a rhythm on the court that has not gone unnoticed by coaches.
For better or worse, Bronny will play a critical role in the events to come. It’s a huge opportunity for Bronny, but the only way to make it count is if he plays with confidence and aggression from the start. According to Skip, those are two areas where Bronny has been sorely lacking, and he’s capable of doing so much more.
