Bronny James has been participating in the NBA Draft Combine activities as he prepares for the 2024 NBA Draft.
His father, NBA superstar LeBron James, is proud of how Bronny handles the scrutiny surrounding him.
Bronny recently named three guards he tries to emulate: Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, and Davion Mitchell.
LeBron expressed admiration for Bronny’s choice to emulate these defensive-minded players instead of NBA superstars.
“I wanted him to kind of figure it out on his own where he sees himself fit in the NBA or where he sees what his comp looks like,” LeBron said on Mind the Game podcast.
“To see him mention guys like Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, a few other guys, Marcus Smart, in our league, Davion Mitchell. These are guys, who come in and like, for a team that’s trying to win championships, a team that wants to win every night, these are the players that you have to have on your team because they just, it doesn’t always show up in the box scores, but it always shows up in the winning plays.”
The four-time NBA champion praised Bronny’s understanding of his role and his selection of players known for their impact on winning. LeBron noted that Bronny’s mindset is valuable for any team aiming for championships.
“For Bronny to have that perspective on where he stands today, that’s great. I think that’s great for any team to be able to have a 19-year-old kid,” LeBron added.
LeBron compared Bronny’s approach to his own aspirations of becoming an All-Star and MVP early in his career. He emphasized that Bronny’s focus on being a winning player reflects a mature understanding of his role.
“Like you said, I know that wasn’t my goal. My goal was like, listen, I’m trying to make it to the All-Star Game of year one, I want to be All-Star, I want to be MVP, I want to be this, all of these things. And a lot of us have those aspirations. But for Bronny just to have that mindset of like, listen, at this point in time in my life and in my game I know where I stand, but I know how I affect the game,” LeBron continued.
The Los Angeles Lakers superstar admitted he was in awe of Bronny’s mindset and answers during the NBA Draft Combine.
“He’s just a winning player. I just love his mindset. It’s just some of his answers and a lot of the questions that was given to him was like, I was in awe of because we’ve never actually even talked about it,” LeBron said.
LeBron also acknowledged the challenges Bronny faces and his ability to handle the scrutiny.
“He’s living in the moment and he’s definitely carving out his own lane. He’s definitely not his dad and I’m not him. I wouldn’t be able to handle the scrutiny and all the things that he got going on at his age at his level,” LeBron stated.
