"The Only Reason Why Everybody Is Okay With It Is Because of His Father": Kwame Brown Rips Bronny James' Place in the NBA

Bronny James is now in his third season in the NBA. It only feels like yesterday when the young James was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft. But this is the first season in which he must answer the question that has followed him since draft night: does he belong on an NBA roster on his own merit?

Throughout Bronny’s tenure with the Lakers, it has been a rollercoaster. He has not come close to matching the standards his father set at the same age, and with LeBron James no longer on the roster, the protection, real or perceived, that came with sharing a locker room with his father is gone. That makes this season less about whether Bronny can become a star and more about whether he can prove he is more than a famous name occupying a developmental spot.

Former NBA player Kwame Brown recently noted how it's unfair that Bronny gets to keep a roster spot over other more deserving players in the league. Looking at James' numbers this season, he's only averaging 1.0 points per game within four games he's played so far. Having that in mind, Brown expressed his concerns for other up-and-coming talents not getting an opportunity that Bronny has. While logging only 11 total minutes through the Lakers’ first eight games. The sample is tiny, but the pattern is not new: Bronny has yet to force his way into JJ Redick’s rotation.

"This is the (NBA), this ain't for the little boys and wimps," Brown said. "It's mind blowing how somebody lost their job to (Bronny James). Some kid that worked their butt off, that really felt they could've made the NBA, they los their job to (Bronny James). The only reason why everybody is okay with it is because of his father. This is a shame."

Brown’s criticism is blunt, and it risks reducing Bronny to a symbol rather than evaluating him as a 22-year-old guard still trying to carve out a role. But it lands because the Lakers’ roster decision gave the argument a concrete example.

One of the clearest instances came when Los Angeles waived Dalton Knecht before the regular season and retained Bronny for its final standard roster spot. The choice was not simply “Bronny over Knecht”: the Lakers needed to get from 16 guaranteed contracts to the league maximum of 15, and Knecht, Jaden Hardy, and Bronny were the most logical candidates. Still, choosing to keep the 55th pick while releasing the 17th pick from the same draft class inevitably invites scrutiny.

Knecht was not immediately picked up elsewhere, which complicates the idea that Los Angeles discarded an obviously superior player. He later signed a two-way contract with the defending champion New York Knicks, giving him a fresh opportunity rather than an immediate standard NBA role. Reports of bitterness and a deleted social-media rant by Knecht about the decision were later debunked as originating from a parody account.

As for James, it'll be interesting to see how the Lakers will treat him moving forward. Now that his father, LeBron, is no longer in the picture, many are speculating that the dynamic of their treatment towards Bronny could drastically change.

Bronny still technically has the current season fully guaranteed, plus one more year remaining in his contract; however, it’s a team option. With that said, there's a chance that the Lakers could decide to opt out and send him to free agency next summer, especially if he continues to underperform. Only then will we find out if other NBA teams will be blinded by the idea of having LeBron's son in their lineup.

Bronny James Declares He'll Create His Own Legacy

Now that Bronny James is no longer paying with his father, many are wondering how differently he'll perform. Since entering the NBA, fans and analysts have set expectations on the young James to perform at the same level his father once did when he was his age. However, that has yet to happen.

Because of that, this has led to negative criticism on Bronny. Despite all the negativity that surrounds him, James doesn't seem to be bothered by the situation. During the Los Angeles Lakers' Media Day in late September, Bronny made sure to remind everyone that he isn't his father and he intends to create his own legacy.

"You guys know me as Bronny," James said on Media Day. "My real name is LeBron. I've been doing this for however long, so I think it's a motivating factor for me just getting up every day and trying to prove myself as Bronny instead of LeBron."

So far, Bronny has yet to live up to that promise. The young James is still struggling to find his rhythm this season and has yet to gain the minutes he desire to play with the Lakers.