Former NBA star Metta Sandiford-Artest (formerly Metta World Peace) has expressed optimism about the future of Bronny James, suggesting that despite his underwhelming freshman season at USC, the young prospect could emerge as a starting point guard in the NBA.
Bronny James, eldest son of Los Angeles Lakers icon LeBron James, recently completed his freshman year at USC, where he posted modest statistics, averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 19.4 minutes per game across 25 appearances.
Despite Bronny’s draft stock taking a hit and his exclusion from mock drafts, Sandiford-Artest remains bullish on his NBA potential, emphasizing that freshman statistics often don’t accurately reflect a player’s future trajectory.
Sandiford-Artest highlighted the historical context of freshman performances, noting that many successful NBA players started with similar modest averages.
“A lot of people was talking about his numbers, but name a freshman that never averaged more than 4 or 5 and then had no chance going pro? Freshman numbers are freshman numbers,” he told TMZ Sports.
The former NBA champion believes that Bronny possesses the skill set and potential to evolve into a prominent point guard at the professional level, envisioning him not only as a starter but also as a potential All-Star in the future.
“I think he has a shot to be a really good point guard. A starting point guard,” the NBA champion added. “Maybe even All-Star!”
