Wizards Great Offers Unique Perspective of Bronny James

Washington Wizards legend Gilbert Arenas spoke out with a unique take about Bronny James.

Oct 18, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) dribbles the ball next to Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) in the second quarter at the Chase Center. / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Former Washington Wizards superstar Gilbert Arenas has become one of the most intriguing podcast hosts in the sports world. He talks a lot about the NBA and always has intriguing takes to share.

Most recently, he spoke out about Los Angeles Lakers rookie guard Bronny James.

Arenas offered an interesting angle on the young rookie and the son of LeBron James in a recent episode of Gil's Arena. He believes that people should stop focusing solely on James as a basketball player. Instead, Arenas thinks that he should be viewed as an influencer as well.

It's a very interesting opinion that actually makes a ton of sense.

"Everybody's judging the basketball game but nobody's judging him as an influencer," Arenas said. "You know, sometimes you've gotta look at it a little different. He's an influencer playing basketball."

He continued on, noting just how much of a digital footprint James has compared to other athletes.

"He has more followers on social media than Patrick Mahomes — he literally has more [followers] than a three-time NFL champion. His influence is really, really huge. He's going to get chanted everywhere, this is not about his performance on basketball," Arenas noted.

Speaking of his followers, James has 8.1 million followers on Instagram alone. In comparison with Mahomes, who has 6.8 million, that is a very impressive feat. James has done an excellent job of marketing himself throughout his young career.

On the court, James has struggled to make an impact thus far. However, he was never the kind of prospect that was going to come in and instantly look like he could play in the NBA.

While this is not necessarily "praise" from Arenas, it's certainly factual. James has a unique fanbase supporting him. In addition to his basketball skills, his ability as an influencer will be impactful and lucrative for him as well.

Arenas is certainly qualified to have strong opinions on the NBA. During his career, he was one of the most feared scorers in the league.

He ended up playing in seven and a half seasons with the Wizards and 552 career games. When his career came to an end, he had averages of 20.7 points, 5.3 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game. Arenas shot 42.1 percent from the floor and 35.1 percent from the three-point line.

Even though he didn't finish his career with Washington, fans still love him and enjoy listening to his thoughts on today's NBA. This take on James is one that he hit the nail right on the head with.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

• Wizards Season Hinges On Alex Sarr's Development
• Wizards Finish Preseason With Win Over Knicks
• Wizards Rookie Drawing Franchise Legend Comparisons
• Wizards Should Monitor Potential Blockbuster Trae Young Trade
• Could Wizards Pursue Intriguing Pacers' Forward?