Iman Shumpert Compares Bronny James to Former New Orleans Pelicans Guard

The former NBA champion thinks Bronny James and former Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball has a similar game.

May 9, 2021; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball (2) brings the ball upcourt against the Charlotte Hornets in the first half at Spectrum Center. The New Orleans Pelicans won 112-110. / Nell Redmond-Imagn Images

The start of the NBA season is right around the corner, and one of the most intriguing storylines is LeBron James playing alongside his son Bronny James on the Los Angeles Lakers. There was much discussion and criticism around Bronny's second-round selection by the Lakers as nepotism because of his father's status as one of the all-time greats. Former NBA player Iman Shumpert compared the rookie's game to former New Orleans Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball.

“People don't give Lonzo Ball enough credit," Shumpert recently said. "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 that.”

Shumpert was a teammate of LeBron James and won a championship with him on the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.

Los Angeles drafted Ball with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 draft, and his hype only grew after former Lakers great Magic Johnson called him "the new face of the Lakers." Ball quickly grew in fanfare after a solid Summer League in Las Vegas, winning the tournament MVP and averaging 16.3 points, 9.3 assists, and 7.7 rebounds. His first two years were marred by injury, and before the 2019 season, the Lakers traded him to the Pelicans as part of the deal that brought Anthony Davis to Los Angeles.

Ball enjoyed the best seasons of his career in New Orleans, playing a career-high 63 games in 2019 and drastically improving his three-point shooting. The former UCLA standout shot just 31% from beyond the arc in his two years in the league, but after working with former Pelicans shooting guru Fred Vinson, Ball improved his shooting from distance to over 37% the next two years.

He is best known as a distributor who sought to get his teammates involved to put them in the best position to succeed. One of the best examples is his former Laker and Pelicans teammate Brandon Ingram. The former All-Star forward is being encouraged to attempt more three-point shots to help expand the team's offense. Ingram averaged career-highs in three-point attempts in the two seasons he played with Ball in New Orleans. His numbers from distance have sharply dropped since his former teammate was traded to the Bulls in 2021.

Since then, Ball has only played in 35 games after having numerous issues with his right knee. Chicago announced he would be ready for the regular season opener on the road against the New Orleans Pelicans. The jury is still out on whether Bronny James will pan out in the league, but an early comparison to Ball is more than a compliment.