Lakers News: Bronny James Talks Pressure, Expectations of Being LeBron's Son
The child of any professional athlete, celebrity, or major figure often faces high expectations throughout much of their life as they grow up in the shadow of their parents. This is especially the case when the child ends up pursuing the same field as their parent. For new Los Angeles Laker Bronny James, he is following in his dad, LeBron James' footsteps. Not only has Bronny entered the NBA, but he was drafted by the same team as his dad.
With LeBron being one of the greatest players of all time, these expectations are even higher. While no one expects Bronny to be the same level of player as his dad, there are certainly more eyes and attention on him with this next step of his career.
Bronny noted at his rookie press conference with the Lakers that the pressure is 'amplified' heading into his NBA career.
"For sure, amplified amount of pressure," Bronny said to the media. "I've already seen it on social media and stuff, and the Internet and talking about that I might not deserve an opportunity. But I've been dealing with stuff like this my whole life, so it's nothing different, but it's more amplified, for sure. But I'll get through it."
The pressure is certainly on as many believe Bronny only got drafted because his dad is on the team, particularly after an unsuccessful season at USC. With the Trojans, Bronny was inconsistent and averaged just 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game during his lone season on the team. He shot just 36.6% from the field, and started only six games during his freshman season.
Still, Bronny believes there is a lot more he can show and that he did not get the opportunity he thought he would at USC, where there were already tons of eyes watching his play. This attention should be present on Saturday, when Bronny likely makes his Summer League debut during the California Classic.
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