Bronny James was selected with the 55th overall pick in the NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, joining his dad, LeBron James.
NBA broadcaster David Aldridge said he would have liked the younger James to stay another year in college basketball during a recent appearance on OutKick’s “The Ricky Cobb Show.”
“I’ve talked to a lot of people, a lot of scouts, a lot of NBA college scouts,” he said. “I think – this is David’s opinion, that doesn’t mean it’s right – that I would have liked to see Bronny go back to college this year and a place, a school where he could have been the guy.”
Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James catches his breath during the NBA Summer League game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 18, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
“There would have been 50 schools, 50 (Division I) schools where he could have been the guy this year and put up big numbers and learned what it was like to be the focal point of a team, a college team, a Division 1 college team. And then you could come into the NBA on your own terms.”
Aldridge pointed out that the USC product underwent major surgery not long ago.
“Obviously, he had the open-heart surgery. People seem to have forgotten the kid had open-heart surgery last year. That’s a major setback to a season.”
David Aldridge (Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images/File)
In 25 games last season with the Trojans, the 19-year-old averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.
Aldridge doesn’t envision James getting a lot of playing time with the Lakers this season.
“He is going to be in the G League most of the year. He may come up at some point, but I doubt he’s going to see a lot of time with the Lakers just because he is not at that point in his development as a basketball player. This is the NBA.
Bronny James Jr. of the Los Angeles Lakers is shown during the first half of an NBA Summer League game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Thomas and Mack Center on July 18, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Candice Ward/Getty Images)
“This is the best of the best of the best, and he is not there yet. Now, he could get there with some development and some growth, he has to get stronger physically and older like all kids do when they come into the league.”
In 2016, Aldridge was awarded the Curt Gowdy Media Award by the Basketball Hall of Fame. The award is given to outstanding basketball writers and broadcasters.
Aldridge is currently a senior columnist for The Athletic. He has worked for nearly 30 years covering the NBA and other sports for Turner, ESPN and Washington Post.
News
J.J. Watt on Mahomes’ NFL Reign: It’s Like Competing in Michael Jordan’s Shadow – Shocking Analysis!
Despite never winning a Super Bowl or even reaching a conference final, J.J. Watt’s career in the NFL was synonymous with success, consistency, and discipline. Over 12 seasons, Watt achieved accolades that few…
Why Taylor Swift’s 2024 MTV VMAs Look Is a Major Departure from Her Usual Glam – Discover the Transformation
Taylor Swift at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards. . PHOTO: JAMIE MCCARTHY/WIREIMAGE Every time Taylor Swift hits the red carpet, the Internet gets down to decoding her looks, head…
Taylor Swift Describes Travis Kelce with all the Words on ‘Fortnight’ Set as She Wins Video of the Year at 2024 MTV VMAs
Taylor Swift accepts the win for video of the year at the VMAs. PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER POLK/BILLBOARD VIA GETTY The votes are in — Taylor Swift had the video of the year!…
Shannon Sharpe COMES CLEAN: Admits His Raunchy Tape Leak Wasn’t a Hack – Full Details in Emergency Podcast
Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson (Photo via Nightcap/YouTube) Shannon Sharpe didn’t take long to admit that his Instagram account did not get hacked when he went live…
IDENTIFIED? Social Media Investigators Claim to Have Revealed Woman in Shannon Sharpe’s Controversial Video
Shannon Sharpe (Photo via shannonsharpe84/IG) Social media detectives reckon they’ve identified the woman Shannon Sharpe was having intercourse with after a raunchy video was accidentally streamed via…
NFL Sideline Reporter Jane Slater’s UNFILTERED Response to Shannon Sharpe’s Scandalous Tape Leak
Shannon Sharpe and Jane Slater (Photos via Getty Images and janeashleyslater/Instagram) Shannon Sharpe has claimed that his Instagram was hacked on Wednesday after a sexually explicit video…
End of content
No more pages to load