Bronny James Addresses Pressure of Playing With Dad LeBron on Lakers

He was forthright with his answer.

Nov 19, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) shakes hands with his son Bronny James during the second half against the Houston Rockets at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports / Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers introduced their newest draft class on Tuesday afternoon, which includes first-round pick Dalton Knecht out of Tennessee and of course, second-round pick Bronny James, the son of LeBron James, out of USC.

The question atop everybody's mind was whether or not Bronny felt added pressure playing on a team with his dad, who is one of the best players of all time. Bronny was forthright in response to the question posed by Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times.

"For sure, [there's] an amplified amount of pressure," Bronny said. "I've already seen it on social media and the internet and stuff about how I might not deserve an opportunity. But, you know, I've been dealing with stuff like this for my whole life, so it's nothing different, but it's more amplified for sure. I'll get through it."

“I’ve been dealing with stuff like this for my whole life. It’s nothing different… I’ll get through it.”

Bronny on the pressures of playing on a team with his father pic.twitter.com/isjjlNIYy9

— NBA TV (@NBATV) July 2, 2024

The pedigree, of course, is unquestioned for Bronny considering LeBron's stature in the game. But Bronny will certainly need to do his part to prove the naysayers wrong when he gets his opportunity to play. The Lakers certainly believe in him, as they signed Bronny to a multiyear fully guaranteed rookie contract, which is not always the case for second-round picks.

James averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists on 36.6% shooting in his lone season in college at USC.