LeBron James' Ex-Teammate's Controversial Bronny James, Lonzo Ball Statement

NBA champion Iman Shumpert compared Bronny James to Lonzo Ball

Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) reacts against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half at Acrisure Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images / Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

Prior to getting injured, Lonzo Ball was viewed as one of the best passing and defensive point guards in the NBA. He entered the NBA as the number two pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. Former NBA champion Iman Shumpert is one of those who remembers just how good Ball was but stated it in a very bizarre way.

During an exclusive interview with DJ Siddiqi of RG.org, Shumpert gave Lonzo Ball very high praise as an NBA player.

"People don't give Lonzo Ball enough credit," Shumpert said. "Even though he's had his ups and downs, he plays a team game. He's able to get other players involved."

Iman Shumpert compares Bronny James to Lonzo Ball:

“People don't give Lonzo Ball enough credit… Even though he's had his ups and downs, he plays a team game. He's able to get other players involved. He's able to make people better, and I think Bronny does an excellent job of… pic.twitter.com/8bgHb3LHG6

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) October 6, 2024

Where Shumpert's praise became controversial to Bulls fans is when he compared Lonzo Ball's game to Bronny James, claiming that he saw a similarity between the two.

"He's able to make people better and I think Bronny does an excellent job of that," Shumpert said. "He does an excellent job of being able to stay in a rhythm without getting people out of rhythm. He doesn't take a lot of dribbles. They need a lot of touches in order to get going. And he doesn't. He plays a pretty efficient game and the more he gets in those decision-making positions that he has to make down the stretch — when it really means something — we're going to see a really quick learning curve."

Needless to say, both Lonzo Ball and Chicago Bulls fans weren't too pleased about Shumpert's statement. While Shumpert is trying to praise Ball, comparing him to Bronny James makes very little sense and is very obtuse.

The disrespect to Lonzo is crazy 😂😂Bronny did absolutely nothing for USC meanwhile Lonzo was balling

— Michael Fray Salters (@CGainz954) October 6, 2024

Lonzo Ball was the number two pick in the 2017 NBA draft that had tremendous praise when entering the NBA. He was expected to be a legitimate star, but took some time in developing. Bronny James on the other hand, was not starting in college and selected 55th overall.

don’t ever disrespect Lonzo ever again https://t.co/i1v8Br8GiV

— 🦅 🦅 (@law_jefe) October 6, 2024

There is very little to compare when it comes to Bronny James and Lonzo Ball, both in their games and in their stories. One is a 6′ 6″ switchable guard, while the other is a 6′ 2″ guard that isn't.